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December 12, 2008 at 09:16:40
Promoted to Headline (H2) on 12/12/08: by Rob Kall Page 1 of 1 page(s) 
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What do you call someone who sells out his countrymen? A traitor! What do you call someone who unneccessarily puts one of America's biggest industries at serious risk and sells out millions of his country's workers abilities to make an honest living? An effing extremist right wing GOP senator. Last night, a few dozen traitorous parasites-- some hiding behind excuses that they wanted to be sure the US was getting a good deal-- sold out American workers with good paying jobs. They sold them out for the foreign companies that had set up manufacturing plants in their states. Very often, these plants are lured with low tax rates or no tax rates or even big buck bonuses. These plants are non-union shops that pay employees far less than union shops. These are the hard-core globalists who have sold out American industry after American industry to cheap labor third world countries. I met with my congressman the other day and suggested that we should bail out the automotive companies from the bottom up. We should give every American a coupon that can be used to buy a new high mileage car from an American manufacturer. The Big three auto makers would refund the coupons through the federal government. He explained we can't do that because of our agreement with the World Trade Organization (WTO.) "Easy," I said. "Withdraw from the WTO." 
Getting into the WTO was a huge mistake. Sure the US needs to trade on a global basis, but the WTO is the wrong deal and far too bad for America for use to continue to be a part of it.Â
The reason we couldn't bail out our US automotive companies from the bottom up is that other WTO members-- Japan, for example-- would be able to sue the US for excluding their products from the recovery package. This is insanity. The US is doomed to failure if we are subject to agreements that prevent us from taking care of our own workers and economy first. I wouldn't be surprised if some foreign banks or finance firms sue through the WTO because the US only gave bailout money to US banks. They'll claim this gave the banks an unfair advantage against other nations' banks.Â
Obama did say that the trade agreements we're parties to need work. I agree. We do need international, even global trade agreements. But the ones we are in now are too primitive, too stupid. They've been incredibly destructive experiments that should be ended and replaced with smarter, better agreements.Â
We can replace the WTO, NAFTA and CAFTA agreements. And we can replace traitorous senators-- at least some of them. Some will keep getting elected by the red-neck, right wing extremists and religious extremists in the southern and midwestern states. Those states are mostly parasitic-- they take more than they give to the US. That situation should be rectified. Now, these red-state parasites representatives are acting in a way that will kill their host, the USA. It's time to re-balance the money flow. Let the red states live with the money they put into the pot and their voters may smell the coffee and realize that their legislators have been betraying them as well. After all, those under-paid, non-union workers are getting paid less with the help of the traitor senators who are fighting unions.Â
Regarding the WTO and other trade agreements, there is a better way. Just as the League of Nations was an unsuccessful first try at a good idea, the current batch of Trade deals are first tries with bad terms. We need a new approach.
No life form can live without skin. Signing on to treaties like WTO, NAFTA and CAFTA totally strips the US bare of protections. It subjects the US to rule by secret councils, literally. It is unnatural to exist without some kind of a "skin." I've written about the idea that every living entity must have a "skin." Skin is not just a covering. It's a complex organ, a membrane that allows some things in and some things out. Even nations must have a kind of economic "membrane" that allows some products and services in, while keeping others selectively out.Â
It's time to either shut down the WTO or change it so it allows every nation to have "economic membranes" which allow nations to help their workers and industries while, at the same time, promoting free trade. There are enough smart people on this planet to figure out how to do it. It just may take enough bottom-up, grass-roots demand from the victims of the failed WTO experiment to make the better version happen.Â
There is some good news. Ten Republican senators voted to move the automaker bailout bill forward. That wasn't enough to break the filibuster, but it will be come January. The extreme right wing of the Republican party has become demented and dangerous to America. Their compass is broken and they are on a course towards ruin. Fortunately, the American people have seen the light and they are not allowing these fundamentalist, corporatist sellouts who no longer put America first, to bring them down. And it appears that some of the Republican members of the senate have regained their sanity and have pulled away from the extremist pack. I predict 2009 will see a schism within the GOP. Not all their members are traitors.Â
 It is likely that George Bush will, after the senate Republicans blocked the funding for the auto company bailout, allow money from the $700 billion already authorized be used for the auto companies. My guess is this deal was set up in advance so the senate republicans could take a stand, to show their conservative, anti-spending mettle. Unfortunately for them, their misguided power play showed who they really are, as I've described above.
Take action -- click here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
withdraw from or re-write the terms of the WTO
Click here to see the most recent messages sent to congressional reps and local newspapers
Rob Kall is executive editor, publisher and site architect of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, more...)
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
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YOU GOT THIS ABOUT RIGHT
ROB, my thinking is this, Bush will make a deal to bail out the big three, and deal will hing on the release of the last 350 BILLION TARB money, that congress said it will hold, without oversight,either way we get screwed. by MARGARET BASET (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 345 comments [45 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 10:15:10 AM  (0+)
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Yes, They Do
What else could motivate them? by Stickshift (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 20 comments) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 10:22:08 AM (0+)
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Do Flat Out Globalist GOP Traitors INTEND to Kill the USA's
We are either a trading nation or we are not. We cannot have it both ways. The auto industry should be assisted, but the industry has to change it's direction now, not later. Our auto industry can change very quickly to non polluting means of energy use but it has to be pushed in the right direction. The move to reducing wages, and the resulting standard of living is unacceptable. We need a fundamental rebalacing of wealth creation to bring back the middle class that made America great. We do not need to fear outside competition but we do need to fear the bean counters running business today. by Rolland Miller (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 227 comments [78 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 11:04:19 AM (0+)
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What else could motivate them??
Right now, we have a CONgress that has enabled economic disaster with their non de-regulation deregulation... the number is $7.7 TRILLION DOLLARS. To call a stop to the TREASONOUS destruction of our economy by spending TRILLIONS of dollars that WE DO NOT HAVE, to bail out yet another industry... and make no mistake, this is NOT going to be a real bail out, it would put the CONgress which has SCREWED UP EVERYTHING it has EVER touched, in charge of the Automobile Industry and they would be the ones telling what the auto industry could or could not build.... I seem to recall policies enacted by the former Soviet Union..... THAT would be traitorous. It would go against EVERYTHING this country was built upon! We need to STOP! our corrupt government can not be allowed to be in charge of something else... If we let this happen, we will be dumping billions down the drain, and for WHAT? If we allow the Big 3 to become BANKRUPT, something that should have happened a long time ago given the crappy products they have been building, INSTEAD of giving them money and allowing congress to force the auto makers to sell even CRAPPIER cars, the auto industry MAY actually come out ahead having learned some hard lessons... like PEOPLE DON'T want to buy crappy cars, so STOP selling them! Ciao, CZ by steve scheetz (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 829 comments [52 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 11:06:10 AM (0+)
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Psychologically Speaking
Psychologically speaking, beyond vapid words and cliches that mean nothing, is a ruling plutocracy in this country that is totally obsessed with ideology over reality, and that ideology, in turn, is enmeshed in class warfare to the Nth degree. Its entire world view and motivation is domination and self-glorification. What we have here is a nauseating, egomaniac ruling elite acting out the role of Captain Ahab chasing the White Whale of rebellious Reality, in a last psychotic attempt to dominate and slay it. But already the Pequod has been stove in and is sinking, Ahab now tethered to Moby Dick himself with his own harpoon, and the giant whale about to sound the depths with Ahab attached. A more anticipated and celebrated drowning will have never occurred in all of human history. by Mac McKinney (53 articles, 114 quicklinks, 241 diaries, 1414 comments [31 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 11:35:52 AM (0+)
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It is not GOP it is what controls BOTH parties
The Secret Covenant by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1686 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 12:12:07 PM (0+)
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Reply: DID YOU JUST MAKE THIS UP OR....
can you cite some source document for this Code? I just wonder, because history does not bear out the claims that you make. For instance, during the so-called "dark ages" the Church frequently excommunicated Kings and Lords for the killing of innocents during battle, and accounts exist where the King of England or the royal of some other major, nascent nation state stood naked for days before the closed Papal castle in the dead of winter; begging entry and audience with the Pope in the hope of regaining his membership in the Church and the afterlife. While there has always been a ruling class that has acted according to a code similar to the one you delineate, the members of that class do not share a common bloodline throughout history. by W.M.L. (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 537 comments [52 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 1:37:16 PM (0+)
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Reply: Nope, I just made it down...
"...the members of that class do not share a common bloodline throughout history. " No not all, of course not. However there are bloodlines centuries old, and they may at times be the power behind the crown rather than the crown itself. Also, I am not much concerned with tracing such bloodlines back to the mists of time, it may or may not be true and unbroken--but who cares? The core of this message in addressed to the known bloodlines that were in power at the time the US Colonies declared independence. Those money powers of Europe who were aghast at the whole concept of Liberty, and self goverance, such as the House of Rothschild and the states of Europe that family now controled. by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1686 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 5:59:30 PM (0+)
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Give Money to EXECUTIVES??
Don't you think it's a bit fishy that W is willing to still give money to the auto executives, just like he did the banks? What did the bank executives do with that money? Gave $3 million bonuses to each other and had big, expensive parties and golf outings while laying off THOUSANDS of employees. They are STILL laying off employees. It wasn't given to EMPLOYEES, it was given to EXECUTIVES. You know, the ones who pay themselves MILLIONS, screw everything up and keep laying people off? So, we should just keep giving money to EXECUTIVES? Uh, no thanks. by Deborah Wells (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 92 comments [7 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 12:27:01 PM (0+)
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No, because "USA's Auto Industry" is Japanese cars now.
With 62% of Japanese cars manufactured in the USA, $50 billion in parts bought here and 425,000 USA jobs, the Japanese auto companies are more American than Japanese. http://www.jama.org/ Hyundai and others build cars in the USA also. http://www.hmmausa.com/company.aspx The "American automakers" are global operations, just like the Japanese companies are. But the Japanese and Koreans have built their plants in the American South, not the old-industry North. The real split here is not between GOP and Democrats, it is between the South's new auto industry and the North's old auto industry. Right now, the North's industry wants to get an unfair advantage at the expense of the South's future growth and jobs.
The reality is that the first betrayal is by the incompetent SOB fat-cats at the top of GM, Chrysler and to some extent Ford. Those executives, with their primary competence being internal politics, have brought down their companies by refusing to invest in the future.
The second betrayal is by the system. A grim reality is that the pension requirements and over-negotiated work rules that Detroit labors under is just not supportable. It is like social security. The numbers just don't fit. Everyone knows it, but everyone pretends it isn't there.
Sadly, giving money to that, while it seems fair, is extremely unfair to everyone else who doesn't have the overpaid union deals. by John Toradze (11 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 85 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 1:17:21 PM (0+)
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Reply: What garbage
Every US citizen had the right to join a trade union, most didn't and now they are screaming. Did you ever join a trade union? If not why not do please tell us. by sliphoch (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 110 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 5:56:30 PM (0+)
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A question and a comment
Did anyone read about the Big Three bailout bill that passed the House where it said the money was to be used domestically, and not spread out to international auto factories owned by or under the control of, the Big Three? I was wondering, not having seen anything on it myself. Just curious, wanted to know who we are bailing out here. Comment-in articles on both Truthout and ICH this morning, it was noted that the bill for the auto companies failed to pass the Senate. Seems they were deadlocked over worker earnings and wages. The republicans, as might be expected, are trying to union bust and pull down decent wages with bad information. No surprise there. What was a bit of a surprise, after such strong Democratic support for Republic Window workers, is that the bill apparently failed, not because the D's and R's were opposed on worker wages, but they could not agree on a time line for drastic wage cuts for these auto workers. If these reports are accurate, it is interesting to note the Democrats shift again, away from labor. Ah yes, but then again, there is that old Democratic line "Where else are they going to go?" by Jack Harrington (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 676 comments [70 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 1:21:15 PM (0+)
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And, has mere talk of bailout killed electric cars - again?
This last year saw the introduction of the Tesla roadster. But there are many other electric cars, all of them able to make a serious dent in our global warming problems. Wouldn't it be far more fair, intelligent and responsible of us to give the same amount of money to Tesla and the other new, up and coming electric car companies instead? Doing that would creat lots of new jobs. Face it folks, Detroit has to die for America to be reborn in a new, supportable way. Global warming says so. The unfortunate reality of senescent corporate inertia says so. by John Toradze (11 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 85 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 1:35:01 PM (0+)
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Global trade...
Great article, Rob! The U.S. will never be able to trade with nations that pay their workers $.27 per hr. If we ever hope to trade at all, we have to scrap our antiquated system of weights and measures. I'm sick of constantly having to crawl out from under the truck to switch from metric to standard. by Matthew Peters (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 171 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 2:03:47 PM (0+)
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Two Things
First, that these pieces of dog crap Senators dare to stand there and mouth the words "protecting constituents money" after giving Goldman Sachs CEO, er, I mean Treasury Secretary Paulson $700 billion to spend with no accountability makes me want to shove my foot up their respective asses. Standing there in their $1000 suits, talking tough after allowing Wall Street to rape us for, so far, $8.2 trillion .....I've got something for these creeps: a cell in Leavenworth. Yes, the "free trade" agreements were nothing more than a successful attempt to use labor as an item to be "traded" to other countries to inflate the bottom line so execs could fly around on corporate jets. The nitwit congressman you spoke with, think he could elaborate HOW this model of seeking the lowest price labor, regardless of where in the world that might lead, losing manufacturing jobs overseas by the millions (and giving the globalist greed mongers TAX BREAKS for doing so) while pursuing a capitalist model of ever increasing home prices, food prices, energy prices, health care costs, IS SUPPOSED TO F%$^ing work????? I want to take action against them NOW. If we have to GREEK them gone. by David Hastings (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 116 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 3:56:20 PM (0+)
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America's manufacturing workers are getting the punishment..
...For the Wall Street fraud artists' crimes. Lol, and we thought that those bastards would get away with it with no punishment at all ;) But instead of going after and arresting the perps of the biggest financial fraud in history; it was decided to convict and execute the Union auto workers instead. Apparently that's the more "American" thing to do. by Steve Windisch (jibbguy) (17 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 361 comments [54 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 4:48:12 PM (0+)
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Just a Thought
Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000168 EndHTML:0000003142 StartFragment:0000000489 EndFragment:0000003125 The auto industry is hurting due to improper management priorities. The Banking industry is 'hurting' due to greedy management. We give the greedy more. The auto industry has done simply what most other industries in the US have done for decades – followed the advice of the Financial gerbils whose thrust has been aimed at not the consumer, but the shareholder. This has meant that immediate profits overruled everything else – it meant non-vital entities had to be cut in order to show profit. Such non-vitals included such things as research and development, improved quality, and so on. In order to cut costs the line worker, seen as essential because cars, or widgets, do not get built without them, was sent to foreign lands where such things as health insurance was not a factor, along with fewer regulatory measures and, of course, lower wages. But, blaming those last items mentioned doesn't make a lot of sense when one considers the likes of Toyota, Nissan, et. al. Who have the same wages, healthcare costs, regulatory measures for their US plants as do the Big 3. In fact, it has been reported the wages paid by these foreign companies actually exceeds those of the Big 3, yet they continue to sell more vehicles primarily because they have kept up with their research and development and quality. In other words they have been zeroed in on their business and future growth. It is somewhat enlightening when one looks at the history of the Japanese manufacturers. In the immediate post World War II years they built their industrial complex with their finest Financial people. The results were disastrous – it was a standing joke that if you purchased something made in Japan and got it to the checkout in one piece you were lucky. A change was necessary and they went from the financial basis to the sound business basis. We have been defeated by that switch at a time we actually went in the opposite direction where our industries were run more on sound business rather than the present day immediate profit. Instead of trying to blame the union worker this might be a good time to look at our overall way of running our industries. It is apparent the present philosophy of pleasing Wall Street is not working. by Dennis Kaiser (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 35 diaries, 730 comments [137 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 4:50:59 PM (0+)
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Global economy
What America needs to do in order to compete in the global economy is to lower all wages to third world country levels, then try to find a country that has wages high enough to afford our products( which are actually produced in China) of course most countries don't allow to many imports so it looks like competing in the global economy is just a race to the bottom on all fronts. We are now reaping the benefits of globalization. Some of the Republican Senators are using the Auto bailout as a union busting opportunity, pretty sad indeed. by Gary Denson (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 283 comments) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 5:17:26 PM (0+)
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Reply: "Most Countries"
Do please enlighten us and give the names of the countries and your sources. Have you ever looked at the number of countries the moaning USA has taken to the WTO, for alledgedly breaking the rules, it does have a website. Guess who the USA wont allow to join? by sliphoch (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 110 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 6:05:28 PM (0+)
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Reply: Technically, I agree here
I think that the biggest area for improvment here on OEN is a lack of "facilities" to help list references, or citations. The Wikipedia does this somewhat well, but it doesn't make it easy. This is why I suggest a support "architecture" for the site that helps guide the writing to being "well supported," and in my opinion, more "sellable." my technical $.02 On the topic if the WTO, "*" the WTO, more below by John Bessa (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 16 diaries, 94 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 at 8:11:09 AM (0+)
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Yes
Great observations, yet it is sooo difficult for many to connect the dots. I assume you are not the only one to notice that, "The US is doomed to failure if we are subject to agreements that prevent us from taking care of our own workers and economy first" and international trade agreements prohibit the U.S. from doing that, from establishing the "skin" needed to remain a viable sovereign state. It is a huge mistake on Government's part, on the public's part, not to notice who is behind those trade agreements, the secret societies, the international bankers, the international corporate conglomerates, the ex- and wannabe royalty, etc. Deconstructing the United States and selling out the American citizen is simply what it takes to get what they want: cheap, obedient, slave labor. by Paul Rye (7 articles, 2 quicklinks, 22 diaries, 500 comments [44 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 5:46:26 PM (0+)
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Later On
we will look back at this moment in history and see the current red flags in our society for what they are. One day we will look back and wish we had taken a stand. by Sharon Roach (15 articles, 0 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 184 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 6:26:54 PM (0+)
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Automakers problems
The automaker's problems stem not from traitors on the Republican side of the aisle but from the fact that they make cars Americans do not want to buy and from government over-regulation. Gas mileage standards dictate to them what their product mix will be. They cannot make profitable cars as such but have to manufacture cars that will allow them to hit a certain gas mileage goal. This can lead to really stupid business decisions. And people do not want what these companies produce. I have bought Hondas for 15 years or more with an occasional Chevy or Ford thrown into the mix. Every one, EVERY D--- ONE, of the US cars was a piece of junk. Every Honda was a joy to own. High resale, low maintenance, and fuel efficient. I had to give the Chevys and Fords away when I sold them. No one in their right mind buys a car manufacturered by the Big Three in my opinion. Every US citizen I know would like to, but doesn't want to be locked up in an insane asylum and stuck with a piece of junk. Look at the car building costs for US car manufacturers and compare to overseas ones. People here say that our manufacturers cannot complete with .27/hour wages. They are ignorant. No one in Japan, South Korea, or France, or Germany makes .27/hour. The Honda and Toyota factories here in the US do not pay their workers .27/hour either. That low wage argument is a load of BS. What US manufacturers cannot compete with is unionized vs non-unionized. The extra costs that foreign car makers do not have are built into every US car because of excessive union wages, benefits, and onerous work rules. I have heard of forklift operators in US auto plants getting paid $103,000 a year with very very very generous benefits. In other countries the workers will cooperate with the company to buid better and cheaper cars. Here the unionized workers fight every effort to streamline production so costs can be reduced. Unions can be good things but some times, like now, they have to get out of the way and let the company try to reduce costs in order to save the business. The unions are less than cooperative. They haven't learned that some jobs are better than none. I hope that the auto makers do not get one dime of OUR money. by Mad Jayhawk (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 652 comments [56 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 8:37:16 PM (0+)
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Reply: Automakers problems our problems, too
I agree with everything you say with respect to why the U.S. auto companies are currently uncompetitive, except for a few minor points. Myself, I own nothing but Japanese cars. However, I think there is a big picture argument you might be sort of aware of but are not really thinking though all the way. The minor points: How do gas mileage standards dictate how many Hummers, F350 pickups, and SUVs to include in the product mix? Are high gas mileage standards really forcing auto companies to make those? Are you implying the U.S. manufacturers are making fuel efficient cars they cannot sell, and if gas mileage goals were reduced, they would make and successfully sell more gas guzzlers? My understanding is that the U.S. would have been beaten out of the truck market long ago except for an import tax of 20 or 25 percent, I forget exactly how much, levied on every imported truck. The bigger picture: Foreign car makers certainly pay more than .27/hour wages, but they pay less than U.S. wages, and I would agree $103,000 for a forklift operator with cushy benefits seems patently absurd compare with wages paid to say, teachers or engineers. We have crane operators in the Port of Long Beach who make over $200,000 per year. It seems obscene. But, is it a worthy goal of Americans to aspire to the same wage scale as any foreign manufacturer who wishes to compete with us? If an engineer in the UK makes $20,000 per year, should a U.S. engineer make the same? What if an engineer in India makes $12,000 per, in Bangladesh $8,000? What if a hair stylist makes $.60 an hour in the Philippines, should a stylist at Super Cuts take a 95% pay cut? (I’m just kind of winging it on the numbers here, but you get the idea.) Because, if we had no limit on immigration, it would not just be the automakers trying to hang on to their union benefits; it would be just about every American who works for wages wanting to unionize, including you probably unless you happen to be a doctor or lawyer or someone who works in a area with similarly high barriers to entry to keep out low wage wannabe competitors. Again, what is our goal in the U.S., to build an economy with a wealthy aristocratic elite and everyone else a minimum wage earner or worse? Some very real reasons why there are even exist many well educated professionals in foreign countries and well trained lower tier skilled wage earners wishing to work for the next Toyota is that the U.S. was at one time wealthy enough to provide enough goods and services for its own population, educate its own people, export food and manufactured goods to the rest of the world, AND educate the children of wealthy foreigners, not all of whom decided to stay and live in the U.S. So, what happened? Did unionization ruin all that? Or, did something else happen to lower the standard of living of most Americans so much that the remaining workers who have managed to hang on to their jobs and their unions now appear to be overpaid? The real problem might just have more to do with the fact that it now takes both husband and wife of a family working full time to obtain the same standard of living as one parent used to be able to provide 50 years ago. I suppose I’m saying, would you look askance at the auto workers pay scale, if you were making double what you make now? Maybe, instead of blaming unions for high auto worker wage scales, you should be asking why you are not getting paid more. A monetary system that permits 25% of GNP to be skimmed right off the top of the U.S. economy by the financial sector and corporate law and pay scales that permit CEOs and corporate officers to make up to 300 times more than a factory worker might have as much to do or more than unions with why American industry finds it hard to compete. And what about that $8 trillion for the banks? Banks do not even lend their own money! It's all credit, the value of which is derived by devaluing YOUR savings and mine. If they hadn't dug themselves into a hole, $8 trillion with 10% reserve would enable the creation of $80 trillion in credit, on which they would earn the interest and we would earn nothing. We would just see our savings eroded by inflation year after year. As it is, they are so deep in a hole that they are just sitting on the money riding out this monetary crisis, while the real economy burns. I read that $8 trillion distributed directly to every home mortgage holder would pay off almost 50% of all the mortgages in the U.S. If that sounds absolutely crazy, they why does it sound so much better when the Fed says it is creating $8 trillion out of nothing to lend to us at interest to "save our a**es" (said in a Fed-mocking tone). Wouldn't it be even better for the Government just to create the money out of nothing itself and put it directly into eveyone's bank account interest free? How does us paying the banks interest on all that money, which was never theirs to begin with, help the economy, us being the economy? by Paul Rye (7 articles, 2 quicklinks, 22 diaries, 500 comments [44 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 at 12:48:51 AM (0+)
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Where are we getting the money for all this?
We're bankrupt, folks. So much for your friends in Washington. by Peter Duveen (13 articles, 0 quicklinks, 15 diaries, 197 comments [30 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 at 10:02:57 PM (0+)
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The investors lose if no bailout,
But that is why GW Bush has said he would take some of the other bail out to get the USA auto mfgs the money they need to stay in operation. The reason is an Investment company named CIRBIRUS or CERBERUS owns 51% of GM and most of Crysler, and Guess who is the big nuts of that company? You got it. It is G.W.s Daddy. So G W Don't want his daddy to lose all that investment. I read all this here or on ICH, I don't remember which one. But it makes sense to me. After everyone found out Bush Sr was invested in Carlyle Group, he got out and then invested some of his ill-gotten gains in Cerberus, now he may lose that if those auto mfgs go broke. As far as I am concerned I'd love to see him go broke. I just hate to see all those hard workers lose their lively hood. Karma works in mysterious ways, it comes back to bite you. So many Politicians, so much corruption.I hope some of those Politicians are invested in Cerberus with that crook H.G.W Bush, That old fart has been at the bottom of every crime since J F Ks Murder, he deserves to bite the bullet and sink to the low of the garbage rat he is. by Mel Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 60 comments [21 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 at 12:50:37 AM (0+)
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Honorary Taliban: Paulson and Summers
Recent experience shows us that most leaders are corrupt. The Senators, CEO's, union officials, bankers etc ignore the citizens entirely. Rod Blagojevich is by comparison a breath of fresh air. In his rush for riches he will openly trample crippled children, widows and orphans with gusto. In contrast Bush appointed Paulson and Obama picked Summers. Posing as patriots, the two appointees were instrumental in the current collapse of our economy. The two have succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of Al Qaeda. by Jason Paz (68 articles, 88 quicklinks, 112 diaries, 1386 comments [97 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 at 1:53:33 AM (0+)
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Can you say, "Shock Doctrine?"
Here is a good link: And my 2 cents: It's quite clear to see that the so-called shock doctrine is being applied to America. The biggest problem the American people face is their unwillingness to believe that their "leaders" would ever perpetrate evil, or at least maliciousness, against their own people. Perish the thought! by Peter Dearman (10 articles, 32 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 144 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 at 3:14:29 AM (0+)
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Reply: Ok, but then what?
"Michael Moore who has quite a talent for putting current political truths into everyday language. The pattern you see over and over is that America is run by evildoers" We all know that money is the root of evil, capital is greed, etc. But what do you do about it? Clearly the alternative of our recent times has been Communism; but that's even more evil!! In China capital and communism have united to create quite the monstor. I think we need to look at the underlying psychology, and how humanity has left its natural and affectionate community boding to become a mass of mercenaries working specifically for self-enrichment--as Dawkins describes with his (sad yet laughable) selfish gene theory. That is what I am working on in the empathy model, to create an emotional communication framework to model meaningful change: Wikiversity Empathy_Model_CLICK by John Bessa (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 16 diaries, 94 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 at 11:34:36 AM (0+)
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capitalism has failed
This historic moment begs us to question the basic premise of capitalism, that as John Maynard Keynes once said "is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all." by Jim Eldon (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 253 comments [15 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 at 9:21:40 AM (0+)
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Reply: excellent
I love old-school adages Here is the great picture of Morgan by Steichen, where Stiechen reveals Morgan's true personality: by John Bessa (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 16 diaries, 94 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Dec 17, 2008 at 9:58:24 AM (0+)
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Coming in late here...
Seeing so may basically similar but scattered thoughts, and so much finger pointing, well, I got dizzy. Much of what I see here is correct, and some is outright fantasy, but fun! I think that many if not most see globalism as a key problem. I would like to take this moment to describe the WTO as a form of Mafia, or other street gang, that goes by the saying that "you can only leave horizontal." Leaving the WTO is exceedingly expensive, but I believe that there is another alternative. Declaring globalism to be terror, and applying anti-terrorism to globalists. The primary global bank is Goldman Sacs -- they name the global chiefs of the WTO and World Bank. They are also tied to the Fed by an umbilical cord. In 2000 I was an executive level technologist, and I carefully watched the tech crash unfold during March of that year. The then Fed chief Greenspan visited a partner at GS. As soon as he left, she instructed Goldman Sacs investors to reduce their technology assets by a big percentage. For what Greenspan had in mind, which he shared with his friend at GS, dumping a large percentage was not enough. This event, clearly illegal and treacherous in my opinion, brought down the American technology economy. As technology and manufacturing are closely related, it also brought down America's economy. Even the usually stupid Republicans were amazed at Greenspan's actions during the tech crash. His response was "investment is risk." Suddenly it is very easy to "connect the dots," and we find that they structure that is killing us economically is but a house of cards. One poof and ... Say we erase the digits of all this global capital, what then? Very simple, we go back to systems that worked in the past and update their "details" with present day and future information technology. I suggest taking a good look at the American automobile "Renaissance," and also the hot rod culture magazines. These are systems that work, and I believe can mutually support each other through a common component modular design and manufacturing supply stream. The garage is the place where so many innovations have taken place--HP started in a garage--yet so few automobile innovations take place there. The garage needs to be lifted, as does the high school automotive shop. After all, all cars are the same: four wheels, a steering wheel, an engine, transmission, brakes, etc... One thing I want to stress here about this site, is that it would really help if people individually developed good and well supported ideas, and then all of us together look at these ideas, refine them, and then embrace them. This approach works, and you will be surprised at the level of influence it can have. I have experienced high levels of influence on Care2 during the Katrina disaster. by John Bessa (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 16 diaries, 94 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 at 9:36:30 AM (0+)
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The Globalists' Terror on America
WIlliam Whitten, splendid post. It's, I believe, the Freemasons' rant, the Rothschilds and the Big Money ppl that started their seize on the Democratic country of America. It's a cult-like group which worships evil as good, (up is down) has been slowly grabbing our money, our land and our minds since the mid 1850's. They about got er' done. It's peculiar and most hypocritic for these Republicans and shock jock radio right wingers to rant this $70 an hr BS when indeed, these congressman make approximately 96 an hr ($200,000 divided by 52 weeks) if they work 52 wks a year. However, we know they worked, 104 days in 2005 in total and hardly work more than that. I guess they think they should be paid for campaigning time and that needs to stop. It's time we put congressional members ON THE CLOCK and no campaigning time included. Funny, they can claim that $30 an hr pay, and $20 an hr insurance, and another $20 an hr into auto retirement fund is too much for auto workers but when we add up their (congressional) pay and retirement, insurance benefits and all the other benefits they get, we come up with hundred$ and thousand$ more than a spindly $70 that autoworkers get and congress produces NO SWEAT doing their job, unless of course they are sweating bullets due to indictments and such. This whole fiasco was planned and is full speed ahead. They won't be happy till we all make 40 cts an hr, and work 20 hr days--7 perweek and get thrown into cement cells when we dont' quite keep up the pace. It's slavery, but as William above says, it's secretly being piped into our minds and well, from the sounds of it, many are hooked into this phoney "we need globalization". Globalization has done nothing but rip our opportunities right out from under us. At every turn, global crap is the cause but the elites keep saying it's ppl that make $30 an hr that caused it all. Just wait, Bushvilles will be popping up all over ...homeless tent cities and alley corridors full of hungry, angry, homeless American citizens. It's coming. When the Big 3 fall, restaurants and parts stores, and medical facilites go broke. Stores profits fall even more than now, and homes are lost and abandoned. DIckK Cheney said it right, (Bush brought us) "Hoover all over again". He didn't blame Bush or himself, but he does recognize losing the Big 3 will bring this country down faster than than the blizzard I am watching out my window is dumping snow. The unemployment Index that includes ppl not receiving unemply. benefits, or are "under employed" (part time), stopped looking for work and are no longer registered at the EMploy Office, states we have 16.72 % of unemployed currently in this country. George is making Jimmy's numbers look reeeeal good. :D by shirley reese (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 592 comments [98 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 at 1:01:52 PM (0+)
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See my diary piece on the GOP sellout
I wrote about the red states and their sellout of the country and your article expands on what I think too. by JOHN LORENZ (23 articles, 118 quicklinks, 119 diaries, 313 comments [25 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 2:22:19 PM (0+)
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