The worry of inflation would feel more easily handled if it was addressed as price gouging or monopoly, for which laws are in place. When it is labeled as inflation, the predatory behavior can be hidden behind the curtain of the wizard. This is one reason one is charmed by the adorable presumption as discussed on C-Span this week, that ubiquitous monitoring of the US public for anxiety should become commonplace. A better policy would be for competent governance that doesn’t undermine Americans and contribute to anxiety.
C-Span hosted a discussion about the viability of Medicare and Social Security. Following are several topics never discussed but that are important —
*Social Security benefits are paid by the taxes from current workers
*Earned benefits upon retirement are based on the level of individual worker pay-in over the last 10 years of an individual’s work history
*Globalism encouraged the movement of living-wage jobs to foreign nation so commercial interests could experience greater profitability using low-income workers
*After products were manufactured by foreign nations, the US public was further undermined by imposition of the Trump tariff that placed a tax on imports, when the US no longer manufactured products
*The excuse for destroying living-wage jobs for American workers was to capture foreign-manufactured products at the lowest price
*The Trump tariff ensured any reason for presumed benefit for the US public was effectively negated
*Commercial interests however were not so harmed
*Low-paying US worker wages means less social security taxes go into the social security fund
*Corporations are profiting thereby
*Perhaps fairness would promote a tax on corporations to buoy social security that has been undermined for the benefit of US oligarchs
*Perhaps manufacturing should be brought back to the US so US workers can earn a living wage that will indicate the level of social security benefit he/she will earn at retirement
Perhaps we should speak to our so-called Representatives about this. Perhaps these policies and laws are in place due to the corruption in the electoral process called Citizens United that enriches politicians and guarantees their legislative loyalty to big-money donors rather than to We The People. Also of interest is the collaboration between lawmakers and big-money donors in www.alec.org in which laws are considered.
We also need a system that supported a vote for the candidate of the choice of the voter, rather than shoe-horning the vote of the voter into either of left or right non-fitting fiasco in the Democratic/Republican duopoly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_-2xxtqm-s —
Organizing 101 – Session 3 – How to Build a Local
–end of howiehawkins info–
We also require freedom of speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bN3U69Nm_E —
So, YouTube Took Our Video Down
–end of russellbrand info–
https://popularresistance.org/11-million-per-minute/ –Lee Camp reports on an IMF study from 2021 that found that Big Oil receives $11 million per minute in subsidies. In other words, we’re all paying for ExxonMobil, Shell, British Petroleum, and their peers to continue doing business by polluting the land, water and atmosphere.
–end of popularresistance ifo–
Exceptionalism as a personality-trait status doesn’t equate with quality of life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd94hoUx920 —
US Quality of Life Now Ranks with Bulgaria
–end of leecamp info–
From popularresistance — https://mailchi.mp/popularresistance/i8lut9ef7f?e=1b0a9c0541 —
–end of popularresistance info–
****As one who would be perfectly contented to retain the Senate if they adhered to Oaths of Office more than to Citizens United campaign donations, one is interested in a topic raised as to the reason we maintain the US Senate—-
This is a reminder of how much we don’t know. This brings one around to Howie Hawkins, who continues to impress with original thought. We also could acknowledge Hawkins often speaks to censored information.
One such topic about which one would never have even considered, is whether the USA needs The Senate. Apparently The Senate is little other than expensive window dressing, promoting hierarchical interests, and too often placed in positions of power by big-money via Citizens United. But the public gets to fund this curiosity of pompous supremacy. Who knew?
The Democratic Branch of the Republican/Democratic Duopoly are especially functional in voter suppression—–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNbdkuU1edw —#GreenSocialist Notes #76
Howie Hawkins brings up the concept of whether the USA needs the Senate. Apparently according to some people, the Senate isn’t necessary. This brings up the blockage from the Senate of many bills that would benefit We The People. Combined with Citizens United that promotes big-money interest choice of Senators, in which laws are passed that benefit big-money interest rather than We The People, and that We The People support economically, the members of the Senate, this seems a good topic for discussion.
The US Constitution doesn’t seem to sanction elections run by political Parties, and to permit control of political debates by political Parties seems equally corrupt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ7kn2-GEmM —
Ross Perot in 1992 on NAFTA and the “Giant Sucking Sound”
Centralization is the lifeblood of the R&D duopoly. It’s the way to enforce capitalism onto workers in 2022.———————–We can do better———-
That “we are a 2-Party system” is a fabrication of the Republican/Democratic duopoly and spread by MSM. In FACT the majority of voters aren’t either registered Democratic or Republican. The censorship about this info must be envied by bureaucrats of the Former USSR and their simplistic style of 1-Party elections.
Regardless of which character sits in the Oval Office, We The People have work to do to maintain principles of our democratic (small d) Constitutional republic. Several items to challenge—*We need the integrity of ranked-choice voting so voters won’t feel compelled to “hold your nose and vote”*Censored debates must be stopped. The Democratic/Republican duopoly pretends to legitimate debates in what is nothing other than another campaign show. Independent debates run by uninterested sponsors such as The League of Women Voters, must be restored. (Access www.debates.org to understand the extent of duopoly control). The so-called Debate Commission is a corporation to promote the Democratic corporation and Republican corporation, not to inform We The People*Challenge and stop gerrymandering that is a trick especially of the Republican branch of the duopoly.*Stop voter suppression by political Parties, and especially confront and stop Party suppression, which is the over-arching approach to voter suppression. Party suppression seems to have been the responsibility of the Democratic corporation*Promote by law ranked-choice voting, so we won’t be told again, by D&R duopoly, to “hold your nose and vote”
If these issues are handled, our next elections can be honorable.
*******************************************************************https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx—-Political Party affiliation of voters.
https://www.lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/league-refuses-help-perpetrate-fraud–LEAGUE REFUSES TO “HELP PERPETRATE A FRAUD”
WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FROM FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE–end of lwv info–Murray Bookchin, who founded social ecology, a theory that strongly influenced early Green Socialist thought, strongly advocated the discussion and study group as the first step of any revolutionary movement. A group of individuals meets to expand their knowledge of radical thought and form a radical intellectual community; through the give and take of discussion, can eventually form ideas for next steps in organizing and political activity. According to Bookchin, study groups help create solidarity and a shared language — with a shared coherent vision — for building a mass, organizing, political movement!