Why I'm a Socialist

In reading a lot of the nonsense by right wingers the past few years, I feel it is necessary to point out several of the major flaws in their thinking and to likewise state what I believe in and what I assume many others actually believe in. 

I refer to myself as either a democratic socialist or a libertarian socialist. 

By these terms I mean that I believe quite profoundly in the intimate connection between liberalism and socialism.  I tend to see that socialism is the logical development on liberal/libertarian ideological principles. 

There is a great deal of talk by the right wing about the principles of libertarianism, limited government, and individual liberty.  There is often the claim that these principles are what this country was founded on and that they are the true form of liberalism.  I say let’s go back to the writings of the father of liberalism, John Locke, and really examine what he was talking about.

President Obama instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency

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Link:

APV:  President Obama Instructed all Federal Agencies to Promote Openness and Transparency

On his first day in office, President Obama issued a Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on Transparency and Open Government; a directive stating his administration's commitment to "creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government."

"My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government.  We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government."

1. Government should be transparent.

2. Government should be participatory.

3. Government should be collaborative.

"I direct the Chief Technology Officer, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Administrator of General Services, to coordinate the development by appropriate executive departments and agencies, within 120 days, of recommendations for an Open Government Directive, to be issued by the Director of OMB, that instructs executive departments and agencies to take specific actions implementing the principles set forth in this memorandum. The independent agencies should comply with the Open Government Directive."

"Should banks be a public utility?" No, but I like the idea of a community banking system [VIDEO]

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"Should banks be a public utility?" No, but I like the idea of a community bank system

I’m a liberal who has no interest in making the federal government any bigger than they already are and actually wants to make it smaller -- the budget and workforce -- and more efficient…but without the irresponsible behavior of our private banking system and without the fact that they can bring down our economy like in 2008.

A note from America's Progressive Voice

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Link:

America's Progressive Voice

Facebook is an outstanding place to talk with old friends, make new ones, and share family pictures and recipes. We can use it for more.

We can gather and learn and organize and disseminate.

Together, with the other progressive Facebook pages, we can track down every last liberal on here and get them to start feeling confident enough to join in the conversation and FIRE UP AMERICA!

Woo Hoo! (and the crowds go wild!)

Big Government Republicans: Michele Bachman and Rick Perry deeply associated with dominionism [VIDEO]

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"Michelle Bachmann & Rick Perry Deeply Associated With Dominionism!" -- Big Government Republicans

As a Liberal Democrat with a strong belief in Liberal Democracy, who believes Free People in a Free Society should be able to live freely without government interfering in how Free People should live their own lives (as long as we are not hurting anyone else with our freedom), I get worried every time I hear Big Government Democrats or Republicans, Socialists on the Far Left or Authoritarians on the Far Right, come out in favor of policies that restrict our freedom, whether it be Economic or Social.

Let's have a governmental flash mob

[Check out Kenna Toney every day over at Notes 2 Ponder!]

Law-enforcement officials in cities from Washington to Las Vegas have struggled to control flash mobs here in the United States.  Meanwhile in England, The Labour Party, Prime Minister David Cameron, and his Conservative-Liberal Democrat government have used water cannons and plastic bullets in an effort to curtail what they are labeling as rioting.

These events point to a potential change in the way the disenfranchised express their displeasure with government, says Paul Levinson, a professor of communication at Fordham University in New York and author of New New Media.

Tea Party blues...

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I don't think I've been called a racist more times in my life than when Obama took office.  Is that because I've all of a sudden become a bigot?  Or is it because people have gotten overly sensitive and protective because a black man is in office?

Nah…probably because of the cross burning incident with my lesbian Jew neighbors with the hispanic/black mixed child.

They just REFUSE to stop parking in the damn street.

Side note:  I don't use the term "African American” unless you are from Africa…which my wife is.  She is more African than most black people in this country and refuses to use the term.

And there is nothing wrong with black, as there is nothing wrong with white, so don't start.  We're all American.  People get a kick out of it when I call her an "African American" in public.

You see, when Obama took office, it was a landmark day in our countries history.  It really was.  First black man to be president…and although I didn't vote for him, it was a key point in our nation's timeline.

But it was also a turning point in the way we are used to critiquing politicians.  Especially for us white folk.

Governor Kaisch sounds retreat on SB 5 [VIDEO]

Link:

Examiner: Kasich, GOP leaders ask to deal on SB5, We Are Ohio says repeal then we'll deal

Ohio citizens have had enough of Governor John Kasich and his anti-worker legislation.  They gathered well over the signatures required to repeal SB 5…actually, nearly a 1.3 million…four times what they needed…and put the union-stripping bill to a referendum to be voted on in November.

Well if this didn’t get Kasich’s attention, something did. 

Is there a leader among us?

[The always fantastic Kenna Toney returns; check her out every day at www.notes2ponder.blogspot.com!  As always, if you would like to contribute, email peopleforpolity@gmail.com.]

Dr. Cornel West, author and professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, and TV/radio talk host Tavis Smiley have created a lot of debate by criticizing President Obama's leadership. They are currently on a nationwide "poverty tour" that will take them to 16 poor communities across the United States.

The fallacy of Perry's "Texas Miracle"

Link:

NY Times: The Texas unmiracle

Governor Rick Perry launched his campaign Saturday, and he seems to be focusing his campaign on job creation…or as Perry put it, “The Texas Miracle.”

“Since June of 2009, Texas is responsible for more than 40 percent of all of the new jobs created in America,” Perry said.

By the way, the Bureau of Labor Statistics have reported 37%...but I digress.

While the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank has acknowledged this number, it also “acknowledges that the number comes out different depending on whether one compares Texas to all states or just to states that are adding jobs,” said Glenn Kessler of The News Tribune.

Texas has been adding jobs while many other states have lost jobs, ballooning this statistic.

What does Google's acquisition of Motorola mean?

Link:

Engadget: Google acquiring Motorola Mobility

As I am sure you have heard by now, Google has bought Motorola.  Naturally, the biggest question about this acquisition is “why?”

Well, on the surface, it’s pretty simple.

Google is being sued by everyone because of its bestselling device line of Android phones and tablets.  Google’s biggest enemy, Apple, has been leading the charge in the ongoing litigation.

Simply put:  Google needed patents.

Follow the money

[Today we welcome back Kenna Toney!  PfP thanks her for her contribution.  If you would like to BE HEARD, email peopleforpolity@gmail.com!]

Link:

Notes 2 Ponder: Follow the Money

Congress is on vacation and the President is on a 3-day Midwestern bus tour, but as soon as they reconverge on Washington, the lobbying will commence.  The new super-committee will mean super-lobbying, and as we all know, if nobody is lobbying on your behalf, there is a slim to none chance that your issue will either not be heard or will be determined by those who can afford to hire lobbying firms.

"Lobbyists are in many cases expert technicians capable of examining complex and difficult subjects in clear, understandable fashion. They engage in personal discussion with members of Congress in which they explain in detail the reasons for the positions they advocate...Because our congressional representation is based upon geographical boundaries, the lobbyists who speak for the various economic, commercial and other functional interests of the country serve a useful purpose and have assumed an important role in the legislative process." 

-Senator John F. Kennedy, 1956

Take a look at the chart below:

Will your interest be served?

Fineman: A Republican candidate's Ten Commandments

Link:

HuffPo: GOP Presidential Primary -- New Rules Of The Race Emerge

The link above will take you to an excellent quick read from Howard Fineman on the new rules for Republican candidates.  

Fineman points to Byron York's question to the candidates during the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa in which he asked if they would oppose a budget plan that would include ten dollars of spending cuts to one dollar of increased revenues...in which every candidate raised their hand.

Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post stated, "I've never heard of such a thing!"

Here are the new commandments:

·         Thou Shalt Not Raise ANY Taxes

·         Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Make Abortion Illegal

·         Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage as the Union of a Man and a Woman

·         Thou Shalt Repeal "ObamaCare," AKA the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

·         Thou Shalt Repeal The Dodd-Frank Banking Regulation Act

·         Thou Shalt Pass a Constitutional Amendment to Balance the Federal Budget

·         Thou Shalt Only Give Military Support to "Our Friends"

·         Thou Shalt Limit the Power of -- If Not Entirely Abolish -- the EPA

·         Thou Shalt Drill, Mine and Frak to the Widest Extent Possible

·         Thou Shalt Take the Name of President Obama in Vain

It is scary to see the lack of disparity between all of these candidates.  It seems as if they have all been roped and duped into signing campaign restricting pledges.

Here is to a primary season full of nothing but "look-at-me" politics and tireless reiterations of their respective  records.

As Fineman says, once the GOP elects a candidate, they will not only have to move to the left, but run.

Can't wait to see this...

Straight from the horse’s mouth: Warren Buffet says “Stop coddling the Super-Rich”

Link:

Buffet: Stop Coddling the Super-Rich

I would love to see some of my conservative friends dispute this man’s credibility.  What’s that old adage again…straight from the horse’s mouth?

Now, he is not saying anything new to us liberals…but maybe some of our conservative friends should take notice of his words.

The oddities of...

[Today we welcome back contributor SWR.  We thank him for his outstanding, well-written contribution.  As always, if you would like to contribute, please email us at peopleforpolity@gmail.com.]

It is common place for right-wing 'Christians' to talk about examining issues from a 'biblical perspective'.  That idea got me asking the question to myself 'what are the biblical perspectives on different social issues?’ 

One of the big issues for the 'Christian Right' (CR) are the issues of marriage, which they tend to define as existing between one man and one woman.  The CR tends to be quite passionate about that definition, but since we are going to use their own rhetoric, I wanted to try to determine the extent to which this 'one man, one woman' concept is actually supported by the Bible.  One would expect that given their passion about the subject, the Bible would be quite clear on this. 

The reality, though when one actually looks at the Bible, is quite the opposite. 

Jim Crow Jr. is in the House

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Link:

Notes 2 Ponder: Jim Crow Jr. is in the House

AND ALTHOUGH HE IS BOLDER THAN HIS FATHER, AMERICANS ACT AS IF THEY CANNOT SEE HIM

My grandfather worked for years in a racist environment.

He was called "nigger" to his face while at work and told the job he had was too good for him. He managed to buy a house in a neighborhood where, at the time, most of the properties on the block had exclusionary clauses; meaning in the deed of the house, it expressly said the property was not to be sold to "Blacks." 

My dad had no idea of what my grandfather went through until he himself started working at the same place in his early twenties.

Why austerity and not stimulus? Does it have to be either or?

[Today we welcome seasoned blogger FRSFreeStates.  We thank them for their contribution.  Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter.  If you would like to contribute, please email peopleforpolity@gmail.com]

Link:

FRSFreeStates: Why Austerity and Not Stimulus?: Why does it have to be Either Or?

It’s hard to argue that the 2009 Recovery Act was a success if you look at the fact that today's unemployment rate and economic growth are both lower today than it was in late 2009.  The "Great Recession" officially ended, but we would be a hell of a lot worse off without the Recovery Act even though it wasn't a success.

But why wasn't the Recovery Act successful?

Rethinking the stimulus: Keynesian economics and why it wasn't implemented properly

[Today we feature guest blogger Steven Verner!  We thank him for his contribution and hope to hear more from him!  As always, if you would like to contrubute, email peopleforpolity@gmail.com.]

Much has been made of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” also known as the stimulus...its positives, its negatives, economic numbers that say it's working, and numbers that say it is not.

One thing is for certain; it is not living up to the hype.  

Confessions of a Right-Wing

[Today we welcome one of our friends from the other side of the fence, AlwaysRight.  I think both sides will find this post very entertaining.  As always, if you would like to submit a post to PfP, please email peopleforpolity@gmail.com.]

Don't hate me because I'm right….wing. 

I'm in one of the top tax brackets.

I own my own home.

I have a big T.V. and SUV.

I listen to Sirius Patriot Radio and prefer Fox News over MSNBC.

I have never wanted for anything or lived in poverty.

  

I'm a white male.

  

In other words, liberals hate me.

Rethinking the terms 'Liberal' and 'Conservative'

[Today we welcome guest blogger SWR.  We thank him for his great contribution and hope he continues to contribute to PfP.  As always, if you would like to submit an opinion to post on PfP, just email peopleforpolity@gmail.com.  Everyone is encouraged to submit regardless of political beliefs.  Let's get the conversation started!]

Much too often people in the United States use the terms ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ (dare I say) rather liberally as well as uncritically and without specifics. There seems to be a general (incorrect) assumption in this country that the term ‘liberal’ somehow is equivalent to left-wing, while the term ‘conservative’ is supposed to be the equivalent of right-wing. Also, the use of these two terms in a dialectical sense is quite problematic, because they actually refer to different types of things.

Liberalism refers to one or a collection of philosophies based upon the maintenance and expansion of individual liberty (freedom) in a number of dimensions; including political, social, and economic. Liberalism should thus be compared with other social, political, and economic philosophical traditions.

‘Conservative’ is a different type of term. Conservatism, as a label, is more appropriate when referring to a general outlook or approach to society. Conservatism thus signifies a desire to maintain the societal status quo (aka what one is ‘conserving’), whatever that may be in a given society. Conservatism thus sits at the center of a spectrum that has progressivism as the left-wing, and reactionism or ‘regressivism’ as the right-wing. Thus what is considered conservative and what is considered progressive is dependent upon a given society’s starting position. It therefore doesn’t represent an actual ideology. While conservatives can be slightly left or right leaning, overall they represent centrist or status quo positions. Conservatism can thus almost be used interchangeably with 'traditionalism.'

[VIDEO] Olbermann: The four Great Hypocrisies of the debt deal

Link:

Countdown 2.0: The four Great Hypocrisies of the debt deal

Keith Olbermann had a great “Special Commentary” on the hypocrisy of the new debt limit deal.  He opens up by stating that our government has given up the concept of right and wrong.

Gone from this deal are the "Four Freedoms" articulated by FDR; they have been superseded by the “Four Great Hypocrisies.”