EQUALITY - ECONOMICS



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SYSTEMS REPERCUSSIONS WORKING
Capitalism History Jobs
Socialism Inequality Wages
Money The Poor Taxes
Debt Social Security


Capitalism


3/1/24

Chris Hedges and Gretchen Morgenson
discuss private equity firms ...

and how they are cannibalizing Americans (43:07)


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12/23/23

The "Vegas Train" is ...

crony capitalism


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7/5/23

The beginnings of Capitalism
can be traced back to roughly 1602
with the establishment of ...

The Dutch East India Company


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3/16/23

A look into the casino (the stock market) that the "Big Boys" use ...

to enrich themselves


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2/13/23

This article written by Richard Wolfe explains
the horror that society is facing ...
in simple, easy-to-understand terms:

The social changes we need, the class obstacle we face


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1/23/23

Economic Update with Richard Wolff examines 2 very interesting topics:
1) changing our transportation system to a more "public" system, and 2) ...

who is really paying for the war in Ukraine (30:51)


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12/2/22

Richard Wolff is interviewed by Chris Hedges on inflation, The Fed, plus ...

some very interesting history (34:00)


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10/31/22

Richard Wolff interviews Ana Kasparian, host of The Young Turks (begins at 15:00)



Ana nailed it ... over and over.


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9/21/22

Inflation in China, Japan, and other places is WAY below ...

inflation in the U.S. (9:27)


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8/30/22

Class warfare is behind the staggering inflation ...

both political parties and the media hide that fact


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8/6/22

How the Oligarchs maintain control over the masses by manipulating ...

Capitalism (29:19)


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5/2/22

Runaway inflation in 2022 in the U.S. contrasted with ...

WW2 price controls (29:35)




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4/16/22

A brief history of capitalism and its current influence on ...

the war in Ukraine


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2/14/22

The second half of "Economic Update" by Richard Wolff
features a history lesson on 20th century fascism.

Begin at 14:50

The Oligarchy continues to control the masses
through their strategy of "Divide and Conquer."
Humans MUST find a way to defeat that strategy
if we ever hope to escape 10,000 years of enslavement.

The odds don't seem to be in our favor.


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1/17/22

Capitalism and democracy are compatible only if ...

democracy is in the driver’s seat

And in 21st century America ... it isn't.


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11/3/21

The 5 biggest publishers who control the industry may soon be reduced to ...

just 4

The Oligarchy is consolidating its power in every industry.
At this rate, it won't be long before they have complete control over civilization.
The 99% will, in effect ... be slaves.


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5/3/21

How Capitalism uses Nationalism ...

to play the morons (29:30)


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3/4/21

The Covid Pandemic has exposed the immorality of ...

unrestrained Capitalism (32:47)


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1/28/21

The Stock Market is a gambling casino for the rich.
It does not reflect economic reality, as this story proves ...

Apple profits go through the roof ($111 billion) - yet stock shares drop

Apparently, Senator Elizabeth Warren agrees with me ...

"With stocks soaring while millions are out of work and struggling to pay bills,
it’s not news that the stock market doesn't reflect our actual economy.
"


In 2020, the Dow Jones dropped from 30,000 down to under 20,000 ...
BEFORE the pandemic crippled the American economy
and then rebounded to over 30,000 by year's end
as the pandemic surged and destroyed the economy.

U.S. economy is the worst since WW2


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1/29/21

The GameStop  fiasco shows what happens

when the people try to fight back against the Oligarchy

Like Trump said "The game is rigged."
Trump just left out the part about him (and his fellow Oligarchs)
being the ones who are rigging it.


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12/15/20

Richard Wolff explains how the takeover of the Democratic party by the Oligarchs ...

has left Americans virtually defenseless

Many of the Founding Fathers tried to warn us about political parties.
I don't think our failure was the result of not listening, as much as it was ...

our inability to defend ourselves against the power of the Oligarchy


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11/9/20

In the second half of the video (beginning around 15:15),
Richard Wolff explains how little difference there is between ...

Republicans and Democrats (29:40)


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7/7/20

Monopolies are destroying America ...

21st century Robber Barons


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6/21/20

20% of Americans are out of work.
Airline travel is down 95%.
Production has ground to a near halt, and yet during all of this,
the stock market has rebounded from under 20,000 up to about 24,000.

That proves that the Stock Market does not reflect the actual economy.
The Stock Market is a casino where the rich wager their profits
in hopes of making fortunes without doing any work or producing anything.

More proof?
The drop from 30,000 to under 20,000
happened before the economy shut down.

84% of ALL stock is owned by the wealthiest 10% of Americans.
The stock market does not tell you how the economy is doing ...

it tells you how the rich are doing


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2/11/20

Capitalism has enriched the rich and impoverished the poor ...

yet the people never catch on

Personally, I wouldn't go as far as the author.
I am in favor of Capitalism,
because it is freedom that I think we should have, but ...

a tightly-regulated Capitalism


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12/4/19

When conservatives claim that we live in a free market society
you can remind them of stories like this one ...

Individuals convicted and companies fined in tuna industry price-fixing scandal

Unfortunately, as we have all learned,
it doesn't do any good to tell conservatives facts;
but it does give me a warm glow inside
to watch how quickly they struggle to change the subject.


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11/17/19

How to become a billionaire

If you weren't born into it ...
there are still 4 other ways to get there.


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8/29/19

My summary of the Wikipedia article on Capitalism (4 pages)

My position on Capitalism is that
it is a freedom that should be available to all of us

BUT ...

A well-regulated and controlled freedom.


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7/23/19

Conservatives are known for promoting Capitalism
while Liberals are known for promoting Socialism.

When this battle played out in the world of microbes ... who won?

Even friggin' bugs figured it out.
Even they are smarter than conservatives.


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3/15/19

Corporate debt reaches $9 trillion (8:22)

It's almost time again for the rich to crash the economy ...

and cash in


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2/12/19

Trump wants Socialism for the rich ...

and harsh Capitalism for the rest of us

Without Socialism, the rich ... wouldn't be nearly as rich.


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6/28/17

This video is an hour and a half long.
But if you are interested in economics
it is worth every minute of your time.

Richard Wolff on Capitalism ... and its cure

The cure is Democracy ... the greatest enemy the Oligarchy has ever faced.


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2/15/16

TED TALK: Yanis Varoufakis (former finance minister for Greece) ...

Capitalism incompatible with Democracy (19:51)

I'll side with Democracy


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6/30/13

Milton Friedman won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his "Trickle-Down" theory.
History has proven that his theory was a complete failure ...

for everyone except the rich

If it were up to me, I would have Friedman's remains exhumed,
pay to have someone pry that Nobel Prize from his skeletal fingers,
have it melted down, sold, and then send the proceeds to our veterans.


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11/6/91

Boris Yeltsin



Yeltsin dumped Socialism for Capitalism ... with disastrous results.

" Yeltsin transformed Russia's socialist economy into a capitalist market economy,
implementing economic shock therapy, market exchange rate of the ruble,
nationwide privatization and lifting of price controls ...
However, due to the sudden total economic shift,
a majority of the national property and wealth
fell into the hands of a small number of oligarchs.
Rather than creating new enterprises,
Yeltsin's policies led to international monopolies hijacking the former Soviet markets,
arbitraging the huge difference between old domestic prices for Russian commodities
and the prices prevailing on the world market.
"

It's the same old story, repeated over and over, in which the rich and powerful
use unrestrained capitalism to strip the masses of their wealth.


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Socialism


10/19/23

How did America do in a comparison of pension systems among industrialized nations?

Not so good: 22nd out of 47

Our country may be the richest one on Earth
but that wealth is concentrated ... at the top.
It never did trickle down - as promised.


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9/18/23

If you are going to debate Socialism - this is a "Must-See" video:

Prof. Wolff explains Socialism in great detail (30:02, first 25 mins)


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9/5/22

The difference between Communism and Socialism (29:25)

Communists vs. Socialists didn't happen by accident ... it happened by design.
The Oligarchs have been using "Divide-and-Conquer" for 10,000 years
(ever since humans first formed into societies)
to control the wealth of civilization.
And for 10,000 years they have maintained that control
in every society or nation on the planet.

THAT is how the 1% control the 99%


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7/18/22

In Sweden, just as it is in the rest of the world,
Socialism is being destroyed by the Oligarchs.
It's like watching a row of dominoes fall, one after the other.

Here is Richard Wolff's interview with
Swedish activist Eleanor Goldfield (begins at 14:48)



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7/8/22

California does what the Federal government refuses to do ...

fight Big Pharma

That's what our elected officials are SUPPOSED to be doing.


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12/21/21

Aid from Trump overpaid corn farmers by $3 billion ...

especially in Trump country (the Confederacy)

They sucked on that government tit with their little MAGA mouths
and then once that money was safely deposited in their bank accounts
only then did they return to publicly denouncing Socialism.


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9/4/20

Young adults were able to get away from their parents
and go out and start a life for themselves ...

when Socialism was peaking in the U.S.

Nothing new to see here folks ... move along.


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4/23/20

New York Governor Mario Cuomo humiliates McConnell ...

after McConnell attacked blue states (4:50)

Facts ... aren't they a bitch?




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1/13/20

Richard Wolff responds to 3 major criticisms of socialism by capitalists (29:35)




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10/23/19

Here is a great analogy
for comparing socialism with capitalism:

The Prisoner's Dilemma

It all boils down to this ...

Cooperation v. Competition


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10/18/19

Neo-liberal economics has failed the masses.

Nick Hanauer suggests ways to replace it (17:03)

Cooperation, not competition ... is the answer.


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2/11/19

Robert Reich explains ...

how Socialism actually works in America

The rich capitalize profits and socialize losses


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7/16/18

David Pakman explains Social Democracy



RELATED 1/13/23

Social Democracy vs. Socialism (16:47)


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10/6/17

Conservatives are always screaming "Capitalism!" and "Down with Socialism!"
Meanwhile, the Big Oil companies elbow their way to the front of the line ...

to slop up all those taxpayer handouts

Don't let their army of zombies get away with that crap.
Everywhere you find them posting those deceptive lies ...

Beat the snot out of them (verbally, of course)


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9/5/17

Conservatives try to argue that Nazis were Socialists because that's what they called themselves.
Well, North Korea calls itself the Democratic People's Republic.
So much, for how much value can be attributed to a name.
The Nazis had as much in common with Socialism as North Korea has with Democracy.

There was nothing socialistic about the Nazis nor their dictatorship

And here is another fact that Conservatives don't want you to know ...

Hitler was snubbed by the real German Socialist Party


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7/20/17

The pros and cons regarding the concept of a "basic income"

UPDATE - 9/20/17

The bad news for opponents of a basic income
is that it has already been tested in the real world.

It did not cause inflation in Mexico as some had predicted


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3/16/17

When a conservative slanders poor people
by complaining about having to pay for their "entitlements" ...

Have them read this


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1/11/17

Who are the true welfare queens?

Banks (5:56)


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3/12/16

Which states are the most Socialist?
(hint: it's not the blue (Democratic) states)



So how do Republicans convince people to vote against their own interests?
(if anyone figures it out ... please let me know).


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10/1/14

How expensive is German college tuition?

It's free

And the story is the same in many E.U. countries.
(and you don't even want to know about their health care)

In those two areas, education and health care,
America is 35th in literacy and 34th in life expectancy
despite being the richest nation on Earth.

I smell rats ... big ones


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3/29/12

75 ways that Socialism benefits all of us

And the ones who demonize Socialism the most
are almost always the same ones ... who benefit the most.


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5/1/09

World famous physicist Albert Einstein



Einstein was one of history's greatest physicists
and yet his most valuable contributions
were made outside his area of expertise.

In this article, he explains his thoughts on Socialism

But his pearls of wisdom don't stop there.
This quote, if followed, could have done more for humanity
than any of his scientific accomplishments ...

"As long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power,
war is inevitable.
Only the creation of a world government
can prevent the impending self-destruction of mankind.
"

My file of "Famous Quotes"

UPDATE 8/2/22

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns of imminent nuclear holocaust

The motto ... "Never bet against Einstein"


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Money


11/4/23



Conservatives continue to make goldfish ... look like geniuses


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4/6/23

There is a reason why American media never mentions ...

North Dakota (21:16)


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1/4/23

A discussion:

What is money? (9:55)

If you still don't know the answer ... don't feel bad.


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8/20/22

Crypto is a giant Ponzi scheme
that is about to do what all Ponzi schemes do ...

collapse on those who came in at the end


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7/20/22

The corporations and the rich have nearly eliminated taxation (for themselves).
So what do they do with all that money? (besides buying back their own stocks)

They loan that windfall back to the government ... at interest (10:42)


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11/1/21

The reason behind the Pandemic inflation that America is experiencing (begins at 15:00)

That's right - the "Big Boys" want to make up for lost profits
that they feel they are entitled to.

But there is more to this complex story that is worth knowing ...

The monopolization of America


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11/19/20

While America's economy crashes
with tens of millions unemployed
and businesses shut down everywhere
and GDP down drastically ...

who is propping up Big Business and the Stock Market?

Our Republican-controlled Government and "The Fed" (8:46)

This is why the rich keep getting richer
while the rest of us are struggling to survive.


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3/11/19

Robert Reich explains the national deficit and ...

debunks Republican lies (2:59)


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5/4/18

California is now the 5th largest economy ...

in the world


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1/3/18

Mike Maloney reports on cryptocurrencies (from Bitcoin to Hash Graph)



The Oligarchs aren't going to like this.

Also, I would suggest that you read through the comments
as many viewers had a major issue with Hash Graph not being "open source"
and thus, it could possibly be controlled by the Big Banks
which would take us right back to square one (which is where we are right now).

UPDATE 9/30/19

Alternative: Byzantine Reliable Broadcast

UPDATE 11/13/19

Now let's consider ... the cost to humanity


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2017



Introducing the world's Top Ten economies

Note: California would be #6 (ahead of France) ... just sayin'


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2/8/15

Comparison: buying v. renting a home (8:33)

Keep in mind that this was only a financial comparison.
But there are a multitude of other factors to consider.
Some will favor buying - others renting.
And those factors will weigh differently on everyone.


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6/25/14

Would you like to learn how money is created?
Would you like to learn how Congress gets money from the Treasury?
Would you like to learn about exponential growth?
Well, if you invest the time to watch this video (56:25) ...

you won't be disappointed

There are 3 main categories of financial instruments:
1. Stocks (i.e., equities or shares)
    2. Debt (i.e., bonds and mortgages)
3. Derivatives                                 

Derivatives include such things as forwards, futures, options, swaps,
and variations of these such as
synthetic collateralized debt obligations and credit default swaps.

Inflation must always be taken into account when discussing money:

U.S. historical inflation rate


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10/20/09

A strong warning of impending economical doom was ignored
in the years leading up to The Great Recession of 2008 (56:07).

Brooksley Born

It never hurts to educate ourselves ...

Derivatives


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1996

When I saw that this video ran 3 1/2 hours, I hesitated,
then decided to just watch the beginning.
Within minutes I was hooked and watched the whole thing ... twice.

The Money Masters (1996)

I would strongly recommend that you watch the video before reading ...

My analysis (2 pages)

And here is a historical look at ...

the U.S. national debt vs. GDP


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History


2/21/24

Robert Reich tells 6 stories that pinpoint, when and how ...

America lost the battle to the Oligarchs (32:59)


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1/12/24

The Oligarchy has stormed back and erased almost 50 years of progress
since the New Deal began in 1933.
Here is an article which identifies a likely turning point ...

It was in 1978

2 years later, with the election of Ronald Reagan,
their coup was complete;
and the next 40+ years would be a nightmare
(for everyone except the rich and powerful).


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10/19/23

This article clarifies the difference between
national "power struggles" and "class warfare"
and how Oligarchs use "nationalism" ...

to unite a country against foreign enemies


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10/11/23

America has now entered its ...

second gilded age

In other words: the Oligarchs have returned everything to the way ...

that God meant it to be


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3/27/23

How the U.S. Constitution controls our economy

To locate specific topics in the video (29:56):
01:07 - 05:06 - US banking crisis
05:07 - 08:30 - Plant suddenly shut in Canton, NC
08:31 - 09:38 - Illegal child labor employment
09:39 - 12:25 - Biden's budget's tax "proposals"
12:26 - 14:40 - Homelessness
15:44 - 29:35 - Interview with Robert Ovetz regarding The Constitution


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4/22/22

The development of leaded gasoline led to gigantic profits and to ...

an incalculable death toll (24:56)

The key word in the video was "profits"


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4/11/22

The transition from hunter-gatherers to agricultural societies
was a little more complicated than we realized:

cereal vs. roots and tubers

This also marked the beginning of ... the Oligarchy.


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2/9/21

Germany suffers 3 crushing events leading to ...

the rise of Hitler (4:26)


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8/24/20

Richard Wolff explains Socialism, Communism, and Capitalism ...

and how they've been implemented by Russia, China, and the U.S. (29:25)

That video should be required viewing in every high school in America.

Here is a written version of the video above (second half only - on China)


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3/17/20

The U.S. stock market has dropped from almost 30,000 on 2/12/20
to under 20,000 on 3/18/20 - that's about 33% in one month.

The most famous crash in 1929, saw stocks drop about 50% in 3 weeks


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5/30/19

Video (5:07) - Top 15 countries by military spending (1914-2018)



On our military, America now outspends the next 10 countries combined.
When did that first start happening?

Around the time when the Soviet Union first started breaking up in 1988


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2/22/19

History of Russia's switch from a socialist-dominated economy to a ...

capitalist-dominated economy


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2/19/19

While this story is just a plug for Bernie Sanders by Robert Reich,
the reason it is worth reading, is because ...

this is an excellent history lesson on the American Oligarchy

As the part about Russia should have made clear,
the Oligarchy is not only America's greatest enemy ... but mankind's as well.

BATTLE STATIONS!


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12/10/18

Richard Wolff on the purge of Communists, Socialists, and Unionists after WW2 (29:50)

This is the history that the Oligarchy prefers that you not know about.


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1/11/17

Don't blame Millennials ...

thank Baby Boomers for the predicament we're in

We also left future generations with a massive national debt which they will have to pay off;
a planet that is heating up, melting the snow, and causing the oceans to rise;
and a dim future for finding meaningful work to support their families.


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12/23/16

The media doesn't want you to know this, but ...

life is getting better for humanity

The media thrives on sensationalism: "If it bleeds ... it leads."
The reality of daily life is too boring and doesn't sell.
That's why everyone is led to believe that the end is near.

Historical global poverty

Historical U.S. literacy rates


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10/24/16

Here is a summary of a book (~1 hour read)
that gives a detailed explanation
of how the Democrats were complicit
in the destruction of The New Deal:

How Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul (by Matt Stoller)


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2/26/15

How often does the American economy crash?

You couldn't have a much worse system than Capitalism.
But if you are wealthy ... you couldn't ask for a better system.


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9/2/12



Which party is best for the economy?

To put that chart above, in a format that gets the author's point across ...

I created this spreadsheet

Even the worst performing Democratic president
outperformed the best Republican president;
which isn't hard to understand once you realize
that Republicans represent big business and the rich ...

and ONLY them

Here's a Wikipedia article comparing Democratic vs. Republican economic performance


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2010

History of Usury in America

It should be pretty obvious from that depressing article
that Congress doesn't work for the voters, but for the ...

Big Boys who fill their campaign war chests


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10/3/08

The "Bailout" - or as it was officially known ...

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

The greatest transfer of wealth in history from the masses to the rich.


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1940's-1970's

The Great Compression

But the prosperity was short-lived
as the Oligarchs have restored nearly everything to the way ...

it was meant to be


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1930's

How well did the world's only Communist state (Russia) do during The Great Depression?

A lot better than we did

I'm no fan of Communism. But almost anything is better than unrestrained Capitalism.


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Economic Inequality


1/14/24

The 2024 meeting of the World Economic Forum
has started in Davos, Switzerland.
OXFAM (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief) reports that:
since the pandemic began in 2020, poverty has skyrocked while ...

billionaires have increased their wealth astronomically

That is because money doesn't grow on trees; it has to come from somewhere.
It's pretty obvious where the billionaires cornucopia of riches is coming from.


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12/23/23

The U.S. is not a great place for old people ...

unless you are wealthy


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11/1/23

This prophesy from Robert Reich in 1994
about the destruction of the middle class ...

proved to be true (8:56)


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4/16/23

Water shortages are plaguing every country on Earth
and the culprits are the usual suspects ...

the rich


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1/16/23

OXFAM

Oxfam offers a plan to attack the pillaging of civilization by billionaires
by reducing them back to where they were ...

10 years ago

Well ... at least that would be a start.


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12/21/22

Congress tries to convince Americans
that they are helping retirees
when the main beneficiaries are, as always ...

the rich (11:28)


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11/14/22

Who have the rich been preying upon
in order to reach such staggering levels of wealth?

Spoiler: the middle class (29:55)

Summary:
the top 1% own 33% (of everything)
the next 9% own 39%
so the top 10% own 72% of everything

the middle class (50-90%) own 26%
and the bottom HALF of America own ...

2%

Keep voting Republican, morons,
the rich sure do appreciate ... your support!


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11/6/22

The world's various Oligarchies
use many different tactics
to control the wealth of nations, including ...

"deficit spending"


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8/7/22

I had a quarrel with one of the journalists at the Associated Press

Paul Wiseman is denying that we are in a recession (6 pages)

Definitions are things to be discarded
when they don't provide the definitions
that fit some people's preconceptions.
This article was a perfect example.


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10/18/21

The Pandemic has been a Godsend for the rich:
The top 10% now own almost 90% of all stock ...

while the top 1% own over 30%


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9/21/21

The Oligarchs completely own the Republican party, and ...

they also have a lot of influence over the Democratic party as well

We are sooooooooooo screwed


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5/2/21

Before the Civil War, slaves in America had to be sheltered and fed
in order to produce the profits for their masters.

150 years later, in 21st century America (the richest nation on Earth)
huge numbers of American citizens do not even have those things.

Homelessness in America

Hunger in America

So how can America be the wealthiest nation on Earth
with so many homeless, hungry people?

Because the rich are doing better than ever.
Remember to keep voting Republican.
The rich sure do appreciate ...

your support!


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2/23/21

It's hard to imagine a place where economic inequality is any greater than in ...

Texas

And yet most Texans still vote Republican.
I don't feel bad for them.
But I do feel bad for all their fellow Texans
whom they take down with them.


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2/7/21

Jesse Ventura, ex-professional wrestler and ex-governor of Minnesota



It turns out that Ventura has a brain to go with all that brawn

The idea is not a new one,
but the rich have been able to keep it from gaining traction
with their usual concoction of lies and propaganda.


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12/13/20

The ultra-rich have become ultra-richer during the pandemic ...

while most Americans suffer (4:46)


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2/20/20

American economic stagnation (1979-2019)

If you look closely at the charts, you should notice
that the only time small increases occurred for the masses
was when a Democrat was president.


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11/15/19

Noam Chomsky



Chomsky explains how the Oligarchs are destroying America (1:12:49)

That video is long ... but worth every single minute.

I watched it more than once - and took copious notes.

My notes on Chomsky's video (2 pages)


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5/27/19

According to the Federal Reserve, the economy is doing great …

provided that you’re a member of the wealthy elite (5:03)


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5/23/19

40% of Americans lack the cash to cover ...

a $400 emergency

We are constantly being told
how well the economy is doing.
What they are leaving out is ...

it is only going great for the rich


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5/6/19

Richard Wolff gives us somber statistics from the GAO (government accounting office) ...

Baby-boomers head into retirement ... with almost nothing

They lived and worked in the richest nation on Earth ...
and this is what they've got to show for it.


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1/21/19

The top 26 billionaires now own as much as 3.8 billion people ...

that's half the planet

It isn't getter better - it got a lot worse last year.
We are heading in the wrong direction.
Well actually, now that I think about it,
that report above just gave us a list of 26 people ... who disagree.


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1/17/19

Ending "Profit-Sharing" is one method that has been used by the Oligarchs ...

to strip Americans of their wealth

The wealthiest 10% of Americans now own 92% of all stocks ...

that's up from 84% just 30 years ago (2:02)

If you do the math,
in another 30 years (at this rate) ...

they'll own it all

What the top 10% (90-99) fail to realize is ...
where do you think the Oligarchs (the top 1%)
will turn to next to satisfy their insatiable greed?


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1/8/19

Robert Reich explains how the rich switched the financing of government ...

from them to us (3:24)

Our greatest enemies nearly always come from ... within.


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12/11/18

Trump goes after undocumented workers ...

but not their employers


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10/11/18

Why do "blue" states have higher inequality than "red" states?

Well, you can get one theory from Sean Hannity, or ...

David Pakman can explain it to you (5:02)

That's like being asked to choose which car you want to win ...

A new Ferrari or a restored Ford Edsel


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7/30/18

Bill Gates Warren Buffett


Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are the founders of "The Giving Pledge."
Members of The Giving Pledge have promised, that when they die,
they will contribute a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Here is the list of rich people who have pledged to donate

I would like to see a breakdown by political affiliation.
I am curious to see if there are ANY Republicans on the list.


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7/29/18

Inequality is not affecting Western Europe nearly as badly as the U.S.

And it all started around the time of Reagan ... God's gift to the rich.


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5/16/18

In order for the 1% to be able to plunder the masses
they are forced to share with their enablers ...

The Top 10% (3:04)

Another perspective on The Top 10% (7:57)


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1/22/18



It was only 8 years ago that income inequality had become so bad
that the 388 richest people owned as much as HALF the world's citizens.
As we begin 2018, Trump has assembled a government
poised to strip away as much wealth as possible from Americans
and transfer it into the pockets of the wealthy.
As this process begins, where does wealth inequality stand right now?

Half the world's population now have as much wealth as the richest ... 42 people


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10/29/17



Since the 1980's, America can best be described by the popular board game "Monopoly."
Players start off with equal chances to win. But eventually only one survives ...

That would be the one who took everyone else's money


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8/13/17

Question ...

"We have waited for "Trickle Down Economics" to trickle down for almost 40 years.
But be patient. The same people who brought you trickle down economics
are also the same people who, on a daily basis, bring you Jesus ...
and they've been waiting for Him for almost 2,000 years.

Any bets on which one will arrive first?"


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4/2/17

Killing their own people for profit; it's what Oligarchs do.

That is as true in Russia ... as it is in the United States

Mortality skyrockets as economic inequality increases.


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2/13/17

Thomas Piketty's study on inherited wealth.

It's success is inversely proportional to the success of socialism

The great successes of Socialism in the 20th century
cut inherited wealth roughly in half.
But the rich have fought back viciously
and have recovered about half of what they had lost.


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11/29/16

Wealth inequality is getting worse and worse
and the American people just turned over the entire American government
to the Conservatives who made it this way.



The next 4 years will likely be considered the greatest in America's history ...

for the rich


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10/28/15

Wealth inequality not only includes income and property ...

but retirement benefits as well


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10/22/15



The "Human Development Index" is a metric
composed of life expectancy, education, and income.
It is published yearly by the United Nations,
and is used to rank the world's nations.

The Human Development Index

I found it odd that America,
which ranks in the 30's in both life expectancy and education could come out #10.
The only explanation would be the superior economic condition of America.
When America's riches are added in, we moved almost to the top.

But that is very misleading.
If you continue reading the article
you come to the Human Development Index.
When the vast inequality of America is factored in,
we come in at number 19 ... barely beating out Slovakia.

For the richest nation on Earth ... that ain't too impressive

Here are two more relevant wiki articles

International Inequality

Worldwide Distribution Of Wealth


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10/9/15

You've heard it from me,
but to avoid the appearance of an "Appeal to Authority" ...

now you can also hear it from Stephen Hawking

(Hopefully - you got the sarcasm above)


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1/19/15



How bad are things getting for 99% of the human race?

We are rapidly returning to a primitive social system
in which life is brutal for those who aren't born lucky ...

but Heaven for those who are


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11/18/14

This story about income inequality might make you puke.
But don't feel bad ...

you won't be alone


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10/3/14

The world's richest country (that would be us ... America)
has an infant mortality rate typical of a third-world country.
Scientists have discovered a socioeconomic link ... economic inequality.

What's behind the high rate of infant deaths in the U.S.?


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8/27/14

So what is income inequality's toll on the Middle Class?

About $18,000 a year

The Koch brothers thank you for your support


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8/12/14

Economic Inequality ... straight from the horse's mouth (20:26)




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2/3/14

Here are some examples of markets self-regulating

It doesn't work. That's why we need government regulations:
to force them to do what goes against their profit motive.


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11/20/12



As long as the Oligarchs can continue to convince Americans
to keep government weak and ineffective,
they will continue to bask on the decks of their yachts
and dine on caviar and champagne;
while the rest of us save half of our McDonald's Happy Meal ...

for tomorrow night

History of income inequality in America


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The Poor


6/28/24

As homelessness in the U.S. hits a record level,
SCOTUS conservatives rule that cities can ...

ban outdoor sleeping!

I am just about ready to explode.


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9/25/23

Canadian homeless experiment proves stereotypes were ...

wrong


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8/19/23

Homelessness has been rising in the "richest country on Earth" since ...

Trump took office in 2017

Gee ... I wonder how much the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" had to do with that? (/s)

2017 was a great year for "The Big Boys" ...

Doctors are getting gouged too

Guess who that ends up hurting the most?

Hint ... not the doctors.


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7/12/23

Hundreds of millions of humans are starving worldwide ...

while the Oligarchs become richer and richer by the minute


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6/26/23

Prince William of the U.K. launches project to combat homelessness ...

and uses Finland as a model

The story below came out 1 week BEFORE the story above ...

List of world's largest landowners


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3/15/23

In nursing homes, impoverished patients live their final days ...

on pennies


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3/12/23

Despite all our efforts,
poverty has remained at a constant level for 50 years
thanks to exploitation of the poor by ...

the "Big Boys"


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3/5/23

About half of retiring Americans ... have no money

The propaganda pushing "America is the richest country on Earth"
only reflects America's wealthy ... not the masses under their thumb.
Those would be the masses who make it possible
for America's wealthy to be ... the richest people on Earth.


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2/26/23

What do you think is the life expectancy for American homeless people?

Try 20 years less than the rest of us

and it's getting worse.


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2/22/22

During the pandemic, inequality has increased dramatically.

The Poor have virtually no chance of owning a home


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12/4/19

668,000 Americans to lose out on food stamps

Sure. They can go from welfare to work
just like the Trump administration says ...
as soon as they can book passage to China or India
which is where the tycoons have shipped millions of American jobs.


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10/18/19

Trump admin attacks free lunches for poor kids (3:56) ...

because the rich need more money

Child poverty rates among the world's wealthiest nations:

Notice where the richest country on Earth is


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6/22/19

Millions to lose safety net benefits as Trump redefines poverty (4:52)

As Farron admitted in the video ... Republicans weren't always like this.
The word "heartless" doesn't even begin to describe these people.
Come to think of it - the word "people" doesn't even begin to describe them either.


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12/20/18

So what are some of the ways that the Trump administration is considering
to pay for their farm bailout (12 billion dollars)?

Cutting food stamps to jobless people

This was the funniest line from the article:

"the 'plentiful' employment opportunities he says now exist."

Sure ... if you're willing to move to China or India.

And here's a line that exposes that blatant hypocrisy for what it is:

"The executive proposal would circumvent a $870 billion farm bill
set to cross President Trump's desk this week,
legislation that contains no such change in work requirements.
"

They get paid "not to work" (plant)
and they just got a 12 billion-dollar taxpayer handout.
but they tend to vote Republican while most jobless people likely don't vote at all.


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4/25/18

Republicans continue to find ways to fund their tax giveaway to the rich ...

by taking it from the poor

I just love this part ...

"The legislative proposal seeks to restore dignity and self-sufficiency to tenants ....

If any one of you actually believe that the purpose of jacking up the rents of poor people
was for the purpose of restoring their dignity and self-sufficiency,
please leave this web site and never come back ...

You do not belong here


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4/3/18

When Republicans try to convince you how great the economy is doing,
these are the kinds of facts they are hiding from you ...

A Third of College Kids Go Hungry

#MAGA !


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3/9/18

Martin Shkreli



Martin Shkreli has been sentenced to 7 years in prison,
not because he jacked up the price of medicine so much
that many people who couldn't afford it, died ... that's perfectly legal;

but because he defrauded wealthy people, which was his real crime

In all the time that has elapsed since Shkreli jacked up the prices for life-saving drugs,
has Congress taken any action at all to save the lives of the poor who will die without them?

(Big Hint: They have better things to do - like eliminating taxes for the rich)


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4/11/16



Inequality in America from another angle:

The wealthy live longer than the rest of us ...

and not by just a little


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12/16/15

Income inequality hurts us in many ways.

American IQ's suffer more than countries that are more socialistic

And the dumber Americans get,
the more easily they can be controlled by the rich;
as we see on the news nearly every day.

It is a vicious cycle


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1/12/15

Here is a heartwarming story that gives me hope for America

New Orleans finds homes for homeless veterans


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11/25/14

We don't hear a whole lot about the AIDS epidemic anymore.

So - how's it going?

They're dying because they can't afford treatment

I got the distinct impression that the author was downplaying
the reason why people aren't getting treated.
It is obvious that dying people would seek help if they could afford it.
This article might as well have been written by Fox News.


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9/18/14

How generous are the Waltons when it comes to charity?

Their underpaid employees should give you a big hint


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5/17/14

In the 21st century, the Confederacy is still working children ...

in tobacco fields

I thought they fixed that crap a century ago.

WTF is wrong with those people?


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2/6/14

The war being waged by the rich on the poor, the sick, the elderly,
and any other group that make up the weakest
and most vulnerable members of our society,
should turn your stomach.
If it doesn't, it's probably because you are either a Conservative or ...
just a heartless bastard



Most interestingly, the biggest supporters of the rich are ...

Evangelical Christians


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Debt


6/3/23

During debt ceiling negotiations
Republicans protected the "Big Boys" ...

allowing them to continue cheating Americans

Additional perspective on what our politicians just did to us ...

Both parties unite against the masses in debt ceiling agreement (31:29)


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2/18/20

Reich explains the cyclical history of Republican presidents and ...

the national debt

And the masses never figure it out


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12/19/19

Congress agrees on a spending bill that greatly increases the debt

Since the rich no longer pay taxes ...

Guess who will be footing the bill?


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3/17/18

The National Debt tops 21 TRILLION for the first time

Why did I post this story? Because of this quote ...

" Republicans railed against the national debt level under the Obama administration,
when it jumped from $10.6 trillion to $19.9 trillion, nearly doubling,
but few have been as outspoken about the situation
with Republicans controlling Capitol Hill and the White House.
"

Proof ... that Republicans are nothing more than hypocrites
playing the useful idiots  for their votes.


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12/17/16



Millions of people thought that election night on November 8, 2016
was one of the lowest points in the history of the United States.
But what many people thought was rock bottom - was only the beginning.
Nearly every day since, has brought us a constant flow of depressing news,
as our worst fears are materializing before our eyes.

The government that is being assembled
is nothing less than a pack of ravenous wolves
who are frothing at the mouth in anticipation of January 20, 2017
when they will be released on a rabbit farm ...

with no one left to stand in their way

You Conservatives asked for this.
So now you can just bend over and drop'em.


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3/28/14

The National Debt Explained by Richard D. Wolff




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9/27/13

Want even more proof how hypocritical House Republicans are?

They will sacrifice our nation in their drive to regain power.
There has never been a more unpatriotic nest of slimeballs in American history.


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Jobs


3/21/24

Job creation under Democratic presidents far outperforms job creation under Republican presidents

Kudos to Politifact for demonstrating how to
do an investigation and write a summary that is truly ...

FAIR AND BALANCED


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5/16/23

Republicans are turning back the clock
on most of the progress America made in the 20th century ...

now it's child labor


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1/5/20

Corporations make workers train their foreign replacements ...

before firing them (5:25)

This quote comes from Laurence Fishburne's character "Morpheus"
in the movie The Matrix ...

"The Matrix is a system neo, this system is our enemy.
But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see?
Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters.
The very minds of the people we are trying to save.
But until we do, these people are still a part of that system
and that makes them our enemy.
You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged.
And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system,
that they will fight to protect it.
"

Yeah. That describes the tens of millions of brainwashed conservative voters ...

perfectly


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11/15/19

Uber execs got wealthy by cheating workers ...

now they've been ordered to pay "back taxes" and penalties

This is why Republicans are stacking the courts.
Uber hopes that they will get to a level
where the judges will interpret the law ...

the way the rich NEED them to interpret the law


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11/11/19

Graph showing that under Obama,
black unemployment was cut in half
(from 16.8 to less than 8.0);
while under Trump, it has only fallen about 1 percent.




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1/27/19

Video (6:24) on immigrants being essential to American businesses ...

as a source of cheap labor


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12/11/18

Sears will be closing stores and laying off employees ...

while giving multi-million dollar bonuses to executives (video - 2:33)

Nothing new to see here folks ... move along.


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3/23/18



Trump played the hicks of rubes of small town America
by promising them lots and lots of jobs.
What Trump didn't tell them was that ...

many of those jobs would be going to cheap foreign imported laborers

Aren't the rubes precious?

They imagine themselves to be so smart,
while reality blows blissfully by them ...

without them even noticing

UPDATE - 4/28/18

Trump tries to soften the blow for the morons

I just loved the part about the lackluster  applause.
A few of the brighter morons probably turned to the others and said ...

"Are we supposed to clap? "

That reminds me of the time when Trump said to a crowd of supporters
that he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue ... and not lose a vote.
They cheered that, not realizing how badly he had just insulted them ...

right to their faces


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1/24/18

Toys R Us is closing 182 U.S. stores ...

MAGA!

I just can't take all of this "winning."


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8/14/17

Trump brags that the economy has added a million jobs
during his first half-year in office, which is true,
but it’s a slower pace of job creation than we enjoyed in ...

2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, or 2012

(he kinda leaves that part out)


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6/2/17



The Jobs Report for May, 2017 is in

The misleading headline should read that since Trump took office
job gains have slowed by over 30% compared to the past year.
But the bigger news, buried within the story,
is that Job Participation is at its lowest level since the 1970's.


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1/25/16

Here's yet another tactic that the big corporations have been using
to increase profits for shareholders, while destoying American lives.

H-1B visas

This began in 1990 under president Bush Sr. (you know - the smart Bush).

So not only do the rich ship millions of American jobs overseas
but they import cheap labor to take our remaining jobs.

Keep voting Republican ... the rich sure do appreciate your support!


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12/9/15

How many jobs has Wal-Mart outsourced to China?

About a half million ... and they're just gettin' started

Keep voting Republican and Make America Great Again!

Just a thought:
I wonder why Oligarchs (like the Waltons)
take away hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs from American Christians
and give them to Communist Buddhists thousands of miles away?

Comically (or tragically, depending on your point of view)
Conservative American Christians are the biggest supporters
of the very people who are stripping them of their wealth and livelihood.


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11/10/15

When does the American economy do best:
when the president is Democrat or Republican?

It isn't even close

Keep voting Republican ... the rich sure do appreciate your support


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2/10/15

Unemployment is a major cause of suicides worldwide

Hip Hip Hooray for unfettered Capitalism
and the Oligarchs who run it.

Hip Hip Hooray for the top 85 families
who own as much as the bottom 3 billion people.

And Hip Hip Hooray for mortuaries, without whom,
the Oligarchs would have to bury the poor ... themselves


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12/5/14

So who are the "job creators?"

Not the Republicans


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4/2/13

National Institutes of Health to get $100 million to conduct brain-mapping project

Oh no. Obama is spending $100 million on brain research
when we desperately need that money for ... oil and guns.

Whatever happened to the good old days
when scientists who wanted to spend all our money on stem cell research,
were stopped dead in their tracks by George W. Bush
who used that money instead for ... oil and guns.


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5/17/12

This rich dude tells you who the real "job creators" are ...

and was rewarded by T.E.D. by having this video banned.



It's extremely disappointing that an organization like T.E.D.
would jeopardize their reputation by backing down from political controversy.

Thankfully, it's gotten almost 3 million views - so the word is getting out.


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Wages


2/15/24

Why the "Big Boys" promote tipping to pay their employees ...

and the history behind it (Robert Reich)


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1/29/23

Oligarchs in France are raising the retirement age from 62 to ...

64

This is going on around the globe.
In fact, it is much higher in many other countries.

The "Big Boys" (oligarchs) need you to work until you drop dead
and then they can keep all your retirement contributions.
It drives them crazy when they are forced to watch you
collect a pension that you worked a lifetime creating.


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12/1/22

This is how the Oligarchs maintain control over the masses ...

through economics and, if necessary, physical force


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4/3/21

When corporations refuse to pay their workers a living wage,
guess who picks up the tab?

Spoiler Alert ... you do (3:50)

Nothing new to see here folks ... move along.


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2/14/21

The United States ranks dead last in worker benefits ...

among ALL developed nations (3:40)


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2/4/21

The richest nation on Earth (the U.S.)
rewards its workers with the least benefits ...

among industrialized nations

Translation: that means the rich are stealing us blind.


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2/4/21

The U.S. is among the worst of the industrialized nations ...

when it comes to providing benefits for its workers

Robert Reich exposes the propaganda behind the phrase ...

"Workers don't want to work anymore"


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11/4/20

Corporations spent big before the election
and successfully fooled the public into supporting them ...

at the expense of their workers

I saw their ads - they were extremely dishonest.

When will "the people" ever learn?


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3/3/20

The CEO of "Gravity" instituted a $70,000 minimum salary 5 years ago ...

here's an update

There's a story you will NEVER see on Fox "News"


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12/27/18

Defying conservative critics, the Seattle economy is booming ...

after raising the minimum wage to $15 (4:46)

This did not come as a surprise to anyone who has ever opened a history book.
We've already seen how the economy performs when the minimum wage is way higher.
Since those conservatives must have known this (access to the same history books)
the only logical conclusion that can be drawn is that ...

they are lying for the rich


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5/9/18

Federal employees' pensions get hit hard ...

in order to pay for Trump's tax giveaway to the rich

And the hits just keep on comin'.

To all you Federal employees who voted for Trump:
Now your stupidity is hitting you hard ...

and right where it hurts the most


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10/25/17

U.S. productivity v. wages (since WW2)

Productivity has continued to increase.
But all the benefits from that productivity ...

now go to the rich


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10/24/17

Why wages aren't growing despite increased productivity

Wages have risen 0.2% per year over the last 45 years.
Inflation has averaged about 4% per year during that same period.
Most Americans don't realize that the rich have been cutting their pay drastically
while reaping the benefits of increased productivity and record-setting profits.

You are being hosed America ... and yet you keep reelecting the wolves.
To quote our current president (the top wolf) ...

#SAD

Now here is a quote from a truly great thinker (Cicero)
A man who was WAY ahead of his time:

" A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious.
But it cannot survive treason from within.
An enemy at the gates is less formidable,
for he is known and carries his banner openly.
But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely,
his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys,
heard in the very halls of government itself.
For the traitor appears not a traitor;
he speaks in accents familiar to his victims,
and he wears their face and their arguments,
he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men.
He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night
to undermine the pillars of the city,
he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist.
A murderer is less to fear.
"


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5/2/17

Republicans pass a bill allowing employers to decide ...

whether to pay overtime or give time off

Republicans - pimping exclusively for the rich since 1980

From our second president, John Adams:
"Government is instituted for the common good;
for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people;
and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men
"

My, my ... how times have changed


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12/1/16

So did Republican doomsday predicters get it right
when Seattle raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour?

They were about as accurate as your local astrologer


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8/15/16



Among the biggest thieves in society ... are employers

Did you catch the part near the end
where Congress blocked Obama's attempts to help the people?

Is anyone surprised that Republicans protected the employer's right
to steal from the people?


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11/3/15

Very cool interactive, inflation-adjusted, historical ...

minimum wage chart


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4/13/15



Why do the rich underpay their employees so badly?

Because they know that the taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill ...

that THEY should be paying


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2/16/15



Why are people paid so poorly in America?

Redistribution

Conservatives have no problems with redistribution
as long as it goes where they want it to go.
Where do they want government handouts to go?
To Churches, the Military, Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Corporations,
Wall Street, Big Banks, and lots and lots of tax breaks for rich dudes.

They are only against redistribution
when it is earmarked for the poor, the sick, or the elderly.


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11/6/13



The depressing economic situation for U.S. workers

I took away something different from this story.

Think about what those two lines represented.
The red line was the average income
while the blue line represented the median.

Let's say you have 11 people: 1 ceo and 10 employees.
The ceo earns 1 million dollars per year.
Each employee earns $20,000 per year.

What is the average?
$1,200,000 / 11 = $109,091 per person.
They are living large, huh?

What is the median?
To find the median,
you locate the middle person and use their salary.
Employee #6 earns $20,000 per year,
therefore that is the median.
Not living so large now, are they?

The average is high because it is disproportionately affected by the rich.
It is the median that most people live on.

The America that existed after WW2, up until about 1980,
was famous the world over for its large middle class; everyone prospered.
The "average" and the "median" were much closer together.

Since around 1980 America has been on a downward spiral.
Our society now has one of the greatest disparities between rich and poor,
of any industrialized nation on Earth.

Our middle class is disappearing fast.
Very few are moving up ... most are moving down.

That graph illustrates a sick, sick country.


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Taxes


9/12/24

Illegal immigrants are contributing more to America than ...

many of our largest corporations


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9/6/24

Democrats collect over a billion dollars from tax-delinquent rich guys ...

so Republicans threaten to cut IRS funding in the future

It's just stunning that America's tens of millions of MAGA morons
can't see the truth that is staring them in the face.
The power of mind control by cults like MAGA is truly ... staggering.


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4/15/24

The "Big Boys" control the government;
that's why they don't have to pay taxes ...

drugmakers are among the worst offenders


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2/11/24

This is the main mechanism that allows the rich to avoid taxes ...

(29:47 - but the segment on taxes begins at 22:40)


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1/30/24

The I.R.S. is finally going after the rich!

The rich are holding their breath until the 2024 election.
If they can get Trump back into office
they will be able to resume
their pillaging of America once again.


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6/3/23

Here is a brief history of the tax rate on the richest Americans ...

in the past 100 years (7:40)


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5/17/23

Republicans ALWAYS fight against the people
in order to protect the profits of the "Big Boys."
This time they are fighting against free tax filing ...

as found in dozens of nations

If you buy into the Republican lie
that taxpayers will lose millions of dollars
by having their taxes done free by the government,
then it's a safe bet that
you have your remote tuned to Fox "News" 24/7.


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1/10/23

House GOP’s first bill ...

a misleading gambit to protect the interests of wealthy tax cheats

And conservative voters NEVER figure it out:
THAT shows the awesome power of brainwashing.


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9/11/22

When you break down the taxes that Texans pay ...

the picture changes drastically

The reason their taxes seem so low is because the Oligarchs pay so little.
Republicans are trying to make the whole country like Texas.


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11/15/21

Changes to the capital gains and inheritance taxes
have enabled the rich to remain ... the rich

(first 7 minutes of video)


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7/12/21

The "Big Boys" don't believe in paying their fair share of taxes ...

sports team owners and their "legal" loophole

All the progress made in the middle of the 20th century
is being rolled back by the rich
as they return things to the way ...

"God meant them to be."


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6/19/21

After the release of documents showing
just how little, if any, that the rich pay in taxes,
the DOJ is now targeting the "leakers" ...

who showed everyone the truth (3:48)

Are we sure that Trump left office?


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4/13/21

Trump's 2017 tax scam is hitting the gullible hard now ...

so Democrats are trying to repair the damage

Remember, 74 million Americans wanted 4 more years of that disastrous leader.


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3/27/21

The Oligarchs have defunded the IRS to a point,
where the the wealthy are able to evade over ...

20% of their taxes (3:53)


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11/1/20

Surprise ... remember those tax cuts that Trump and Republicans gave you in 2017?

Well, it's time to pay up

No, not you rich people - you can keep your cuts ...
just you poor and middle class people.

UPDATE 11/7/20

Going into more detail (4:11)

If Democrats fail to take the Senate in 2020
then non-rich Americans are simply screwed ...

for at least another 2 years

It's really is mind-boggling how easy it is for Republicans
to get conservatives to castrate themselves ... and never figure it out.


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12/26/19

91 "Fortune 500" companies ... will pay NO taxes for 2018 (5:20)

We, the people, will be the ones making up the difference.
Enjoy your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.


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12/20/19

When ALL taxes are included in the calculation
our "progressive" tax is pretty ...

flat (5:51)

Conservatives are trained to ignore these facts
and distract attention away from them
whenever they are confronted with them.


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10/9/19

The 400 richest US households
paid a lower tax rate than the bottom 50% ...

for the first time in U.S. history

Trump's Christmas gift to the rich in December 2017
was the push that sent them over the top ...

and now they are looking for more


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8/17/19

The amount that Trump's tax gift to the rich in 12/17
cost the rest of us Americans ...
almost exactly equals what the rich gained from it.

What a co-inky-dink (5:01)

You've been scammed Americans.
But what is really embarrassing
is that he did it right in front of your faces;
and what is even MORE embarrassing
is that half of you still won't admit it.


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7/31/19

Most "discretionary" government spending goes to ...
(drumroll please)

the military

Nothing new to see here folks ... move along.


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4/15/19

Robert Reich: 12 myths about taxing the rich ...

Video (8:25)

Transcript


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3/9/19

Now we know how much Trump's tax gift to the rich cost middle class Americans ...

$323 billion dollars! (4:37)

Now you know one of the main reasons why Trump distracted America
with that phony border emergency that needed a paltry 5 billion dollar wall.
And it worked. This story will be buried - The Wall won't.

UPDATE 6/8/19

Now we know how much Trump's tax gift to the rich saved the Big Corporations ...

$91 billion plus an additional $60 billion in refunds (5:25)


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6/22/18

Governor Rick Snyder celebrates 8 years of transferring wealth from the people ...

to the big corporations

Now Trump is doing to America, what Snyder did to Michigan.


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6/12/18

One of the two richest men in the world (Jeff Bezos)
and his company Amazon (one of the richest in the world)
are headquartered in a state where they pay NO income tax.
So what did they do when Seattle tried to get them to contribute to a tax
that would help relieve the homeless problem in that city?

They strong-armed the city into backing down

I'm sure that is exactly what Jesus would have done.


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4/24/18

How's Trump's tax "reform" working out?

Fannnnn-tasic!

for the rich

"Pass-Throughs" are their newest gimmick.


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1/10/18

California Governor Jerry Brown



California Governor Jerry Brown inherited a $27 billion deficit in 2011.
He raised taxes, and in 2018, he will leave California ... with a $6 billion surplus.



Oligarchs and Republicans are going into overdrive trying to figure out how to spin this one.


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10/10/17

Robert Reich explains the dismal history of ...

Trickle-Down economics (3:06)

It doesn't trickle down folks: never has ... never will.
Yet Conservatives continue to fall for the lie no matter how long it fails.
They believe that someday, the rich will grow a conscience and share with them.
I would put my money on the return of Jesus ... before that happens.


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5/8/17

The Republicans are NOT working on tax "reform."
They are working on a massive transfer of wealth
from the pockets of most Americans
into the off-shore bank accounts of the ultra-rich.

THIS ... would be tax reform

Every time America is compared to other advanced nations (in any category)
we come out looking like a pair of jeans that just got pulled from a wood chipper.
(However, there are 2 exceptions: nobody does Guns & Bibles ... like we do)


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1/24/17

Republican history of cutting taxes is ...

dismal


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1/20/16

For-profit NFL teams feed at the socialistic trough, greedily stripping taxpayers of billions.
But hey - on the plus side you only have to pay about $100 for each seat to get into the game ...

and don't forget about those great hot dogs

average NFL ticket prices


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1/11/17

The Oligarchs have legalized theft and now pay about the same tax rate as ...

regular earners


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9/25/15

Interview with Noam Chomsky

Worldwide, fossil fuel subsidies reach about 5 trillion annually

Oil & Gas tax breaks (socialism)

Conservatives try to pass the American economy off as Capitalistic to all its "useful idiots"
who don't understand what Conservative experts already know ...

Our capitalism is funded in large part by taxpayers (socialism)


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2015

Corporate Tax Rates

Corporate Tax dodge known as "Earnings Stripping"

Earnings stripping (related to inversions)
refers to a practice by which a foreign-based parent corporation
loans large sums of money to itself by loaning, on paper,
the money to one of its own U.S. subsidiaries.
Then the corporation gets to deduct the interest it is paying (again, to itself)
and cancel out, dollar for dollar, taxes on profits it owes our government.


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12/11/11

The property tax scandal (5:07)

The rich ALWAYS win. Why?
Because they are the ones ... rigging the game.


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3/22/09

So which states slurp the most from the government trough?

The Red States

And how much are they slurping?

What a bunch of hypocrites


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Social Security


10/22/24

Harris' economic policies will bankrupt Social Security in 9 years ...

Trump's policies will do that in just 6 years


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9/11/24

China raises retirement age

Considering where they are now (one of the lowest in the world) ... that's understandable.


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7/5/23

The real reason Social Security is running out of money ...

and it's not what we've been told by Republicans


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6/27/23

The real reason that Social Security is going bankrupt (3:51)

As long as the Oligarchs continue to control the minds of the "Feebles" (Conservatives)
it looks like the rest of us are doomed ... and so are the Feebles.


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3/13/23

Prof. Wolff debunks the misleading propaganda
that politicians are feeding Americans about ...

Social Security (first 10 minutes of the 29:55 video)


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10/17/22

If they succeed in November's election ...

Republicans intend to slash Social Security and Medicare (4:52)

Their ultimate goal is to accomplish
what they have been working towards since 1935 ...
the total elimination of Social Security and Medicare.

And (as was pointed out in the video) - the media is helping them.


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10/13/22

Notice that the 2 stories below share a similarity:
both go back 40 years ... to the ascension of Ronald Reagan.

Inflation sees biggest jump in 40 years

Social Security's COLA is biggest in 40 years


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9/4/22

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)



Pelosi just reminded everyone
"who she really works for" ...

by stalling a Social Security increase to protect the wealthy (3:28)


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8/24/20

An actuary estimates that America’s social security fund would be empty by 2023 ...

if payroll taxes were cut

Farron Cousins explains the story above (in case you would prefer a video - 4:15)

Keep voting Republican. The rich sure do appreciate ...

YOUR SUPPORT!


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3/13/20

Trump and his cronies try to sneak cuts to social security and medicare into ...

the emergency Coronavirus bill

Even in the midst of a deadly worldwide pandemic,
Republicans put bank accounts over human lives:

Trump insisted that he wanted to include
a payroll tax cut in this package.


Why did Trump and his cronies want that?

Because a payroll tax cut until the end of the year
would cut funds that would go to Social Security and Medicare.

BUT IT GETS WORSE ...

Trump tries to block states from using Medicaid to help fight the Coronavirus

Trump finally yields to mounting pressure

UPDATE 3/14/20

The House of Representatives passed Coronavirus legislation.
But to fight the spread of a worldwide pandemic,
even providing funds for sick Americans who are unable to work ...

was like pulling teeth for many Republicans

We are dealing with pure evil here.
But keep voting Republican. The rich sure do appreciate ...

Your Support!


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12/29/19

Trump and Republicans go after
the social security benefits of the disabled ...

to pay for tax cuts to the rich (4:04)

Keep voting Republican. The rich sure do appreciate ...

Your Support!


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10/4/18

Russians hiking retirement age

"retirement age, formerly age 55 for women and 60 for men,
to age 60 and 65, respectively.
One might have even a bit of sympathy for Russian men, though,
whose life expectancy is a mere 66 years;
40% of men will not live to retirement age under the new law.
"

And THAT'S the point:
they want you to pay in your whole working life ... and then die.
Guess who gets to keep the money?

This is what Paul Ryan was working on for years
trying to raise the U.S. retirement age to 70.
Just because he retired doesn't mean we are off the hook.
I can guarantee you that Republicans still salivate over the idea.

UPDATE - 12/31/18

They did it

This is happening all over the world.
The retirement age in China is currently 60 for men
and 55 for female civil servants and 50 for female workers.
By 2038 there will be an equal age for women and men set at 67.

The standard retirement age in Japan
throughout most of the postwar period was 55.


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10/13/17

Social Security benefits to increase by 2% in 2018

When I read the last sentence of that article,
cerebrospinal fluid began spurting from my ears
and I still haven't managed to clean it all up yet.


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9/30/17

Here is a popular email that was recently circulating

And here is Snopes' investigation of the email

I'm not particularly interested in the issues Snopes was investigating.
What is important though, is that the points brought up in the email
about Social Security were true;
and they make a devastating rebuttal to Fox News morons
when they spout their misleading propaganda about Socialism.
To better prepare yourself for the lies that Conservatives will attempt to bury you with,
you can update your knowledge of the Social Security system ...

Here


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3/14/17

You won't be hearing this one on Fox News

Social Security will save 3 billion dollars thanks to Republican healthcare

And if the Republican House of Representatives' Freedom Caucus
had had their way (a total repeal of Obamacare without replacement),
thousands more Americans would have died
saving Social Security even more money.

Republicans kill Americans for profit - it's what they do - it's ALL they do.



But keep voting Republican ... the rich sure do appreciate your support


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11/10/16

If you thought election night was depressing;
and if you thought the appointment of an anti-science moron
to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement was depressing;
then maybe you should wait awhile before reading this ...

In addition to Obamacare
Medicare is also on the chopping block


Note: "privatization" is a code word for "take away."
(before we had it - it was  privatized)

Steve Benen goes into greater detail and exposes Ryan's ultimate goal.
It is the goal that the Oligarchs (through the Republican party)
have been working towards since 1935 ...

The end of Social Security


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3/25/07



Which bastard began taxing social security benefits?

That would be ... Reagan

Notice that this story from Fox "News" came a decade before Trump.
They probably wish they could delete this.


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7/1/72

My, how Republicans have changed.

Nixon guarantees inflation-proof Social Security benefits

"I have today signed ... constitutes a major breakthrough for older Americans,
for it says at last that inflation-proof Social Security benefits are theirs
as a matter of right ....
"


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