I recently finished “The Price of Inequality” by Joseph Stiglitz and was thinking of a way to write about it, it’s a great book (highly recommended), when I started “Bending Toward Justice, The Voting Rights Act and the Transformation of American Democracy” by Gary May.  I’m only about 40% finished with this book (I keep a stack of books next to my bed to read each evening) and it, too, falls into the highly recommended category.  In fact, based on news I’m reading and hearing the past few days, this is the book I need to refer to regarding my next post. (this one)

Reading about the reality of what Black Civil Rights leaders (and their supporters) went through to get the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and what voting was like prior to that makes me even ANGRIER when I think of what the Roberts Court (the United States Supreme Court – often times referred to as SCOTUS) is doing to America.  Fifty years from now it will be the Supreme Court that will be remembered as a key component of the assault on America’s foundation – whether the right wing republicans succeed in their “permanent republicnan ‘majority'” or not.

First they decided the Citizens United v Federal Election Commission in the favor of corporate interests while dissembling something on the nature of 100 years of campaign finance reform.  This from Justices Roberts and Alito who claimed they were adamantly opposed to “judicial activism” as they went through the confirmation process.  (Does that mean they’re liars?) In this case, notoriously referred to by Mitt Romney when he said “Corporations are people, my friend,” the court opened the floodgates to unlimited spending on America’s political campaigns – with the so-called “dark money” coming from “non-profit” “Super PACS” that can funnel unlimited funds into political races with no accountability (regarding where the funding originates) whatsoever!  We the people won’t even know how much FOREIGN money is used to buy our politicians.  (Alito – either foolishly or naively – shook his head as if to say “no” when President Obama breached the subject of the foreign money POURING into our elections during his the State of the Union address which followed this judicial travesty)

Largely as a result of this decision (and there’s been another almost as bad since, McCutcheon v Federal Elections Commission) we can expect a never ending blast of negative (and mostly fictitious) surreptitious TV adds during election campaigns.  We can expect never ending political campaigns (for example, this “mid term” election seems to have been ongoing since the last presidential election).  And, worst of all, we can expect even more corruption in our political process – if that is even possible.  These two decisions, in themselves, point out the EXTREME importance of NEVER again voting in a republican as president!  These judges are in for LIFE – that means my daughters may have to spend their entire adult lives living under the Roberts Court!  Right now, America’s “right wing” is represented by a 5 to 4 majority on the court and, if they get one more, the disaster could be worse.  These five judges will someday be remembered in the history books for the damage they are doing to our nation!

While the two aforementioned decisions are disasters, there’s another one that falls in the same category and could possibly end up being worse.  Last year (2013) the court “gutted” the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (passed in 1965 and extended by Congress several times since, the last time being in 2006, for 25 years) by eliminating section 4 and eviscerating section 5.  If interested in what that means, look it up – it’s real clear what their motivation is.  I’ll get into more of my thoughts on this shortly, but as I’m reading May’s book on the Voting Rights Act, it’s almost depressing to think what this court is doing to the country I love.  It’s as if the extreme fringe “right” that’s got control of the republican party is working in unison with the Supreme Court to (they say they want to “take our country back”) take this country back to the days of the Robber Barons!  And, the American public is passively allowing this to happen simply because most members of our society have no idea it is happening!  (a significant group of my peers – I’m a retired school teacher and have many friends who are “educated” – haven’t even heard of Citizens United – or if they have, they have no idea of what it is)  This last REALITY is further indictment on our so-called “liberal media.” (I’ve written extensively about that recently if you’re interested)

Thousands of American (mostly African Americans) were BRUTALLY beaten, abused, and with many of them giving their lives to the civil rights movement of the 1960’s – which included the final MAIN push for VOTING RIGHTS in Selma Alabama in 1965.  There were many members of the Black leadership community which most of us have never heard about who showed courage above and beyond what we see in this nation today.  Martin Luther King Jr. was the “point man” that most of us have learned about – and, I was aware of John Lewis (today a member of the House of Representatives) and Andrew Young (and some of the others mentioned in May’s book), but there were so many we’ll NEVER know about who stood up and risked (or gave) their lives to push this nation into giving the right of citizenship (voting) to EVERY American!  And, now – 50 years later – we have a Supreme Court which is very subtly “turning back the clock” so that MANY will be disenfranchised.

The arguments coming from the Court and their supporters kind of remind me of the support for the “high stakes” testing that resulted from the “No Child Left Behind” Act – during the first part of the GW Bush administration. (Ironically – or should I say coincidentally – it was GW who nominated [and managed to get confirmed] Alito and Roberts)  The argument was that the Latino (and other “minority”) students I was teaching (6th grade) should be able to pass the test written by WASP’s (White Angle Saxon Protestants) in order to be considered “proficient” in school.  Of course, the language in the tests was (is) totally unfamiliar to the students.  In other words, the tests aren’t set up to measure skills as much as measuring vocabulary, and they favor White Students from stable families.  From the day “No Child Left Behind” was enacted I believed the REAL purpose in the legislation was to enable privatizing of our school system.  The other thought occurring to me is that there are “leaders” in the republican party trying to create a permanent under class of citizens.

In the instance of the (now) gutted Voting Rights Act – the new voter ID laws – which the court is also endorsing – designed to prevent “voter fraud” according to their proponents (that’s the “rationale” behind them – and, I should have said “non-existent voter fraud, based on the published studies) – will disenfranchise MILLIONS of Americans (mostly poor, elderly, young, or minority voters).  And, if there is “voter fraud” it’s not something that “ID laws” would address anyway – making the Court’s motivation even more transparent.  (disenfranchising voters – most of whom would tend to vote democratic) The voter fraud which does occur is MOSTLY votes that are made through the mail.  The Court, in its decision, not only took away the protections granted in Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, but they made it more difficult to challenge the future attempts to disenfranchise voters (forcing challenges to be made via Section 2 which has been described as “costly and time consuming”)  So, in my view, the REAL reason behind this Court decision is to ENABLE the disenfranchisement that is the purpose of all the “Voter ID” laws that, curiously, sprang up within days of this terrible decision.  (Do you think it was coincidence that numerous republican secretaries of state were ready to file voter suppression laws almost the next day after this decision?  Me, I’m a bit suspicious!)

Unfortunately, this brings me back to the place I ALWAYS seem to end up.  When I try to understand why certain things are “happening” in America – that seem so WRONG – it always seems to return to what Karl Rove once termed “the permanent republican ‘majority.'”  These Court decisions make it clear that the SCOTUS is FIRMLY on board with Rove’s (and his associates) intentions.  And, the reality that MOST Americans have no idea what’s going on “behind the scenes” in their own country, tells me our “liberal media” is either consciously or unwittingly supporting the plan.  (I hope it’s the latter, I fear it’s the former)

I’ll spell it out ONE MORE TIME.  The right wing fringe of the republican party NOW has control of the Court(s) – not just the Supreme Court; there’s been a court “stacking” “plan” since the days of Ronald Reagan.  They have control of the House – with, thanks to a well thought out scheme to control “local politics,” congressional districts that have been “gerrymandered” to almost ensure republicans retain control of the House indefinitely (In the 2012 election well over 50% of Americans voted for democratic House candidates, while republicans won a significant majority of the seats – it doesn’t take a math genius to figure this one out).  Republicans are close to gaining a majority in the Senate (and, I for one, don’t believe the democrats have the “stones” to filibuster the republican agenda as the republicans have done during Obama’s 6 years to the democratic agenda) and our “liberal media” is controlled by something like 9 right wing corporations!  Are you getting the point?  If republicans can fool the American public into voting for a republican presidential candidate in 2016 the “nail” will be driven into the “coffin” of progressive Americans for the foreseeable future.  The Citizens United decision will allow unlimited funding of the propaganda “machine” that’s gotten us to this point and should Rove, the Koch’s, and their brethren succeed, it will be a tough “hill to climb” to reverse their course.

Of course, what republicans in control will lead to will very likely be another economic disaster along the lines of the “Great Recession” or Depression.  Maybe that’s what it’s going to take to “wake up” America’s working class public.  Honestly, how working Americans can vote for republicans who are so indebted to the so-called 1% is beyond me.  As flawed as the democrats are, they are WAY closer to an agenda that is aimed at the middle class of America.  This idea that funneling more wealth UPWARD to the elite “1%” is so absurd that you have to give the right wingers credit for managing to “snow-job” the American public for most of the past 35 years.  How can this happen?  Well, I just believe that “we the people” are simply no match for the sophistication of the corporate interests who are buying our politicians.

Is there hope?  Well, as of October 2014 there is still a bit of hope.  Maybe voters in America will fail to give the republicans part FOUR of their scam (the US Senate) in the 2014 mid-term elections – that, by all accounts at this point is very much “up in the air.”  And, it’s hard for me to imagine one of the possible republican candidates for president actually winning in 2016 – but, it appears that the democrats will be running another Clinton.  Wouldn’t that just “beat all” if the 2016 presidential race was Clinton v Bush?  If that wouldn’t let you know how utterly despondent this nation has become, I don’t know what would.  Of course, I believe what we need is a true STRONG LIBERAL as our president and a public willing to first – vote republicans out of congress and second – vote the corporate democrats out of congress – replacing them with people who believe in the “bottom up” approach to government which drove the “New Deal” of FDR, Eisenhower and the Interstate Hi-way “push,” LBJ and the “Great Society,” and built the greatest middle class in the history of the world.  It really is UP TO US – “we the people” – because expecting the present day politicians to “fix” our government is like expecting the fox to fix the hen house!  Unfortunately, due to the SCOTUS, stopping this republican onslaught will get progressively more difficult the longer we allow it to “hang around.”

I was talking to one of my republican friends yesterday and one thing we could agree on was that it appears the American public is ill informed.  (The word we used was more harsh but essentially means the same thing)  I chose to end the discussion right there because my friend, along with most of the others I know who believe in Christianity and vote for republicans, tend to get their “news” from Fox.  At this point, most will deny this, but when you listen to “conservatives” talk it’s obvious they’re either watching Fox or getting their “information” from some affiliate.  What I’ve learned over the years is that there must be some kind of central info center where ALL republican pundits are programmed for the day.  That’s why you can listen to a variety of pundits on a variety of outlets and hear the same key (code) words repeated OVER and OVER again.  For some reason, neither my friends, nor the so-called “liberal media” (if you’ve been on this site much, you know why I put quotes around “liberal media”) seem to be aware of the republican propaganda scheme.

A few years ago I read a book titled “The Family” by (I think) Jeff Sharlott which retells his experience gained from infiltrating the group known amongst themselves as the “Family” and who, at the time, I had heard referred to as the “C” Street politicians in our nation’s capital.  Of course, since then I’ve heard little about this group, but it’s clear to me that they are behind much of what is “happening” with the push to the “right” in American politics.  How does this relate to the republican propaganda scheme mentioned above?  Well, the “Family” adopted the philosophy of dictators and tyrants as they interpreted (actually I should say interpret – because, just because our media is ignoring them doesn’t mean they aren’t still involved – in fact, I’m sure the now infamous Koch brothers are part of this “network”) the Bible in a way that allows them to also be devotees of Ayn Rand.  That is, the powerful and wealthy should rule the rest of us.  Another term for (at least) some of those involved in this movement is “dominionists.”  As part of their political strategy to impose their beliefs on American society this group adopted strategies of the Third Reich.  Most notably, the “Big Lie Theory” of Joseph Goebbels, the chief Nazi propagandist.  I am continually amazed that our “liberal media” fails to acknowledge this.

The “Big Lie Theory” states that if you tell a lie over and over again people will begin to believe it’s true.  Again, I’ve written many times about this, but if you haven’t read any of those posts I think you still can get the “drift” here.  If not, just tune into several different sources of “right wing” “information” and you’ll quickly understand what I’m pointing out.  You’ll hear the SAME key words OVER and OVER again – their veracity is irrelevant.  Before the day President Obama was inaugurated for his first term as president the republicans were on record as saying they would BLOCK anything he attempted to accomplish – their plan was to make him a “one term president” in the words of Mich McConnell.  As Rush Limbaugh said, “I want the president to FAIL”  (If you’re from Kentucky and you vote for McConnell – shame on you!)

Unfortunately, the part of our media that’s not controlled by Fox (if that part exists) have either participated in this “strategy” (the stated objective is that Obama would “FAIL”) or have chosen to ignore it.  I’ve stated many times on this site that, despite the FACT I want president Obama to succeed there are many areas I have of disagreement with his decisions.  However, attempting to facilitate his failure is UN AMERICAN to me and why I’m trying to get as many people as I can to vote out ALL republicans.  Attempting to make sure the president fails is a strategy that is likely to lead to the “failure” of our nation – in fact, every day we’re seeing more evidence of that.  I really don’t see why more members of media outlets like MSNBC can’t see that.  Why aren’t they exposing the republicans using a Nazi propaganda scheme as their main strategy?  Why are they failing to remind the American public that one party is TOTALLY focused on our President’s failure instead of our country’s success? (this can be easily documented)  Why can’t they see that a significant portion of leading republicans are disgusted that there’s a Black family in the “White House?”

In my mind, it’s obvious that the republican strategy is working – and, not because it’s a good strategy – but, because there’s no one with a significant enough “platform” out there exposing the reality of what they’re doing.  Just yesterday I read the results of a Washington Post poll that focused on the president’s “approval ratings” and how Americans feel about other issues.  I won’t go into detail here, but what was obvious as I read the results of the poll was that the constant “BLAMING” President Obama for EVERYTHING and OPPOSING anything he is for is working for republicans – despite the poll implying that the issues Obama is fighting for have a significant majority of Americans favoring them while, at the same time, having an unfavorable opinion of the president.  For example, Obama had an unfavorable rating in his dealing with the economy, yet people have a more favorable trust in democrats regarding the economy (ie issues like “minimum wage” which Obama is “pushing” and most Americans support).  This one really points out how successful the republican propaganda scheme has been – the respondents to the poll feel more trust in republicans regarding the deficit than democrats – and Obama.  That, despite the reality that since the election of Ronald Reagan republicans have caused HUGE increases in the deficit and both Bill Clinton AND Barack Obama have seen significant reductions during their terms.  In fact, despite the FACT the deficit has come down SIGNIFICANTLY since Obama was elected – you wouldn’t know that to talk to my republican friends or listen to the media that’s controlled by right wing corporations.  (that’s our “liberal media”)  In a different poll I read, a significant majority of Americans favored “The Affordable Care Act” while – in the same poll – a majority opposed “Obamacare.”  If you don’t get the irony there – well, do a little research!

So, now all of this BASHING of our president and trying to make sure he FAILS is “coming home to roost.”  There’s the issue with ISIL and now the one that republicans have at the forefront of their FEAR (and propaganda) machine: Ebola.  Of course, the republican BLAME GAME is already in high gear and they will find all sorts of creative ways to BLAME President Obama for BOTH of these issues.  In fact, I’ll be surprised if Scott Brown (or another republican minion with a similar lack of character) doesn’t come up with an add blaming President Obama for members of ISIL infiltrating our borders while infected with Ebola and going around spitting on people!  Actually, Brown is capable of coming up with something even more outrageous than that – because, he’s firmly in the control of the Koch’s and Karl Rove.  (and, there’s a plethora of republican candidates who fall into the same category – a woman In Iowa [I can’t remember her name] running for the Senate comes to mind – she has actually personally thanked the Koch’s for making her campaign possible)  Despite all the venom that will be forthcoming, the REALITY is that the dysfunction in our nation which has been imposed on ALL of us by a republican congress willing to ruin our country in order to ruin our president is where the BLAME lies.

Let’s take Ebola for example.  That’s a health care emergency.  It’s a REAL emergency!  So, what should we expect from the republicans and the media that supports them?  I’m guessing, for starters, we’ll need to fire some people – maybe people at the CDC (Center for Disease Control) or the NIH (National Institutes of Health).  Calling for the firing of people in those places might, after all, take the focus off of the FACT that our Congress has been UNDERFUNDING both agencies for the past 10 YEARS! (at least)  I believe the underfunding of the NIH is somewhere in the neighborhood of 5+ BILLION dollars!  Actually, these are the CUTS that have been imposed!  We can’t cut our military and republicans (who gave us the deficit with the so-called Bush tax cuts and two wars put on a “credit card”) had to find a way to show they are “deficit hawks”  – so cutting from medical research and medical facilities must have seemed a good idea to them.  If you’re old enough to read this post you know that republicans fought “tooth and nail” to prevent the “Affordable Care Act” (ACA) and since its passage have voted in excess of FIFTY times to repeal it – so, you should be able to make the inference of why America is the ONLY “advanced” society in the world without national health care.  Republican opposition to this has been ongoing since I started paying attention – which was when Dwight Eisenhower (who favored national health insurance) was president.

I’m not sure if any in our “liberal media” will point out that President Obama, at the urging of those at the CDC, made a significant commitment to send American aid to Western Africa in an attempt to help the countries facing the Ebola crisis head on get the epidemic under control.  I KNOW they won’t report that David Vitter (republican senator from Louisiana – known for his rendezvous’ with prostitutes) was BLOCKING (they BLOCK everything, don’t they) the aid package supposedly because the aid was going to Africa!  I watched parts of Rachel Maddow’s show on MSNBC last night and she reported that there are a TOTAL of NINE beds in the ENTIRE United States that are set up to handle diseases such as Ebola! NINE! That’s it!  There were over 70 health care workers at the hospital in Dallas who were exposed to the Ebola patient who died in a setting where the precautions were less than ideal.  So far, two nurses have come down with symptoms of Ebola and officials are expecting more to show symptoms in the next couple of weeks.  (Personally, I’m praying that no more will become sick)  Here’s what I’m now wondering:  Is our republican led House of Representatives capable of taking a break from BLAMING President Obama for everything and actually coming back to Washington DC to appropriate the funding necessary to give the health care professionals the resources necessary to contain this epidemic?

One thing I’m certain they won’t fix is the issue with so many Americans’ without health insurance.  It’s long been the republican position that all Americans can have health care because Emergency rooms are required to provide care for anyone who shows up at their doors.  Of course, the reality is that many of those who don’t have health insurance won’t go to an emergency room until they are deathly sick because they can’t afford to pay the high costs.  (My last visit to an emergency room lasted 4 hours and the bill was $5300 – and, that was 10 years ago!)  For a person who has Ebola that is not only a death sentence for them, but likely the way this virus will become (if it does) an epidemic in America.  And, of course, should that happen we’ll have to listen to a plethora of right wing castigation of our president (and, who knows who else).  What we do know is that the republicans who’ve been preventing national heath insurance for all will not take any of the blame themselves.  They won’t look inward regarding the budget cuts to the CDC and NIH and, unfortunately, I believe our “liberal media” will let them get away with it.  (I’ve recently written a couple critical posts regarding Chris Matthews of MSNBC regarding his “knee jerk” reaction to “crises” with that instinct to immediately lay BLAME.  And, like his cohorts at Fox, he generally looks right at the Black Man in the White House.  He did this with the VA health issues and the Secret Service boo boos – I hope I’m wrong, but I expect the same here – and, he’s supposedly on the “liberal” cable outlet)

Just to give one more example of how preposterous American politics has become (and, how this is making us ALL “less safe”) I’ll give one more example:  A couple of days ago I saw snippets of the “debate” in the campaign for the US Senate in Kentucky between Mitch McConnell – the present minority “leader” in the Senate – the chief republican “blocker” and “blamer” – and his challenger, Allison Lundergan Grimes.  During this debate Grimes refused to divulge who she voted for president in the last two elections (obviously it was president Obama – but, she didn’t want to give her opponent a “sound bite” he could [would] twist into an negative add in a state where our president is unpopular).  Her opponent, McConnell, was asked about “Obamacare” – whether he would work to repeal it? (despite it’s success in Kentucky with 500,000 Kentuckians signed up on the “Kynect” website and now having health insurance)  His answer was classical absurd political BS – he would repeal “Obamacare” – but, keeping the website was “fine” with him.  (of course, the website wouldn’t be fine with the 500,000 Kentuckians that now have health insurance if “Obamacare” was repealed)  Honestly, I recently retired as a 6th grade teacher – I would expect a higher level of thought from my 6th grade students!  Relating this back to the Ebola epidemic – McConnell is OK with TEN MILLION + more Americans without health insurance (that’s what would happen if the ACA is repealed) which clearly would make the spread of viruses like Ebola more likely because there is NOTHING more important to him than President Obama’s “failure.”  Despite the reality that the concept behind the ACA originated in a “conservative” think tank – the Heritage Institute, evidently, the republicans fear the legacy the ACA will leave for the president will be positive.

Back to our “liberal media.”  I’ll bet you’ll never guess how the two examples of the McConnell/Grimes debate was interpreted by our “liberal media.”  I’m going to take the “accepted” definition here and agree that MSNBC is more “liberal” than Fox and all of its surrogates.  So, Chuck Todd – the top political “analyst” for NBC – I don’t watch it but I’ve heard he’s the new moderator of “Meet the Press” – which, to me would require a person to have some level of responsibility – Todd interpreted Grimes refusal to give her opponent a “sound bite” that would “connect” her to President Obama as “disqualifying.”  So, McConnell ended up with a much better “sound bite” because he simply took Todd’s remark, implied that Todd is an “expert,” (of course, I would disagree wholeheartedly with that assumption) and made the negative add Grimes was attempting to avoid giving him.  And, I have to admit that these media outlets are making me sick to my stomach to the point where I simply can’t bear to watch more than small amounts – but, I didn’t hear any remarks from Todd regarding McConnell’s ABSURD remark regarding being “fine with leaving up the website” but repealing the ACA as “disqualifying.”  Really, to me, there’s no comparison between the two and I just have to shake my head that someone in the position of Todd could come to the conclusion he did.  I honestly believe that Chuck Todd should be FIRED for being STUPID!  However, in America he’s a political “adviser.”  Go figure!

I started this post with a reference to a conversation I had with a “conservative” friend of mine yesterday.  Being more transparent, the agreement we had is that the American voting public is stupid – I’m sure he looks at this issue from a totally different perspective than I do.  But, the reality is that America’s voters are either going to vote back control of Congress to republicans or nearly do so.  That’s despite the FACT republicans have spent the past 6 years ATTACKING and OPPOSING everything our BLACK President does or proposes.  Many still believe he’s not a citizen and telling the truth means nothing to them – hence the strategy based on Goebbels’ big lie theory – “The end justifies the means” – so, we the people get constant rabble about Obama’s birth certificate, his name, and on and on and on.  We’re facing a serious health crisis with a CDC and NIH that have had their budgets severely cut by republicans in Congress who also are doing everything they can to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  (the Ebola Crisis started in a state that refused to participate in the ACA – which could conceivably make curbing the virus more difficult)  Additionally, republicans are unbelievably BLAMING President Obama for the ISIL crisis, when it was their “leaders” in 2002-2003 (Bush/Cheney et al) who created the mess in Iraq which spawned ISIL  in the first place and their present “leaders” (McCain and Graham) who urged the Saudi’s to fund ISIL in another misguided attempt to “control” (in this case Syria) the Middle East.  Here’s how it works:  They (republicans) create the mess, they blame it on President Obama, and they leave Obama to clean it up (all the while opposing everything he wants to do).  As they say, “Only in America.”  The worst part to me, is – thanks to our “liberal media” – the American public is on the verge of voting the very people who have created the mess we’re in back into power.  I really don’t get it!

Update: No sooner had I posted this message than I got into my car to run an errand and my XM radio was tuned to “The Ed Schultz Show” on MSNBC.  What did I hear?  But, Ed Schultz, a supposed liberal, blasting Allison Lundergan Grimes for, you guessed it, refusing to say who she voted for.  He implied that democrats pulled their support for her because of this.  All I can say is “how stupid is this going to get” – and, I’m not talking about Ms. Grimes.  I continually rant against republicans – but, obviously, the problem in America is that the other choice is the democrats!  Earth to Ed Schultz, Chuck Todd, and anyone else reading this – there’s a good reason why Ms. Grimes wanted to maintain her privacy (maybe that really is a major democratic issue) and, I don’t understand why you’re thoughtlessly attempting to help Mitch McConnell! He’s the poster boy of what’s wrong in America!   Seriously, get a clue!

I’m presently reading “The Price of Inequality” by Joseph Stiglitz which is a book aimed at explaining economic issues in a way that is understandable (to a large degree) by non-economists such as myself.  The book essentially reinforces much of the inferences I’ve made over the years since my disappointment that the American public was tricked into voting Ronald Reagan as president back in 1980.  I still remember the promise: “I’ll cut your taxes and balance the budget.”  Well, we all know Reagan not only didn’t balance the budget, but instead initiated policy that did exactly the opposite.  Of course, his supporters to this day will deny that reality and find a way to BLAME the ballooning deficits on Democratic congresses.  The “Reagan revolution” shows itself to be around the starting point of much of the FACTUAL data Stiglitz has put into this book focusing on the reality of America’s wealth “trickling up” (my words) due to “trickle down” economics.  What’s probably most frustrating about all this to me is the number of solid “middle class” Americans who still consider Reagan almost as a saint – and, STILL vote for republicans with little thought (or knowledge) of what they’re getting in return.

Of course, it doesn’t help to have a “liberal media” that is solely focused on (and owned by) the corporate interests that are gaining a stranglehold on America.  I’ve recently written about my frustration with Chris Matthews, the host of “Hardball” on MSNBC, supposedly “the place for politics.”  To me, in my attempt to find an antidote to the right wing corporate media I tend to end up on MSNBC on occasion.  (The actual place where I find information that doesn’t seem so tainted is on Free Speech TV, which I’m learning to turn to much more frequently)  Yesterday, I lasted only about 5 minutes on Matthews’ show before I had to turn it off in disgust.  As per usual, he started the show with an attempt to create another (non) crisis with President Obama – this time referring to “The White House” in his (not very) veiled attempt to (again) attack our sitting president.  I guess in today’s world it makes for good ratings.  This (non) crisis had to do with “anonymous” leaks coming from the Secret Service regarding allegations that some intern who was an advance person for the President’s visit to Central America brought a prostitute to his room and someone “in the White House” tried to cover it up.  Of course, this “story” won’t last long unless someone can turn it into another “Benghazi” fiasco.  The problem I have is that Matthews simply is falling in line with the Fox “news” crew who are attempting to find ways to criticize President Obama (evidently) in their sleep.

I don’t EVER hear about any of the successes of Obama’s administration (and, let me be clear here, I’m definitely one of the liberals who are not very happy with much of the direction his administration has taken – it’s just that I don’t want to get on the Fox, Matthews bandwagon – because it’s not all bad and it’s certainly BETTER than the alternative).  In fact, when you look at the economic situation today compared to what the republicans left Washington DC and America with back in 2009, things have gone directly upward.  (except for the deficit, which has gone in a downward direction – significantly)  I’m not going to claim that things are “great” because it should be obvious that they’re not – but, it would be nice to hear someone pointing out the reality of the difference.  We have an election coming up that is one of the most important in my lifetime and people like Matthews are FAILING to inform the American public about FACTS regarding accomplishments.  (like the economic comparison – because the republicans want to go back to the same policies that got us to the “crash” in 2008)

Or people like Matthews could be REMINDING people of the FACTS of what the republicans have done over the years.  I don’t remember anyone on a program such as “Hardball” showing graphs, for instance, that give a clear picture of what happens when republicans are “in charge” vs. democrats regarding, for example, the deficit – or job creation – or military spending – or investment in “green energy” – or commitment to education, and I could go on.  Most people I know have no idea of any of this – because they’re either too busy, too lazy, or too apathetic to find out.  Many of them rely on people like Matthews to keep them “informed.”  Everyone knows how Fox “news” does this (AKA GOP TV) which is what makes it so much more frustrating to me when people like Matthews are helping to “guide” America back to republican control of our Congress and more corporate domination of our nation.  The combination of a right wing Supreme Court, a right wing Congress, and a right wing “liberal media” could be the undoing of America as those of us who are called “baby boomers” knew it.  Reading books such as Stiglitz “The Price of Inequality” makes it real clear the significance of allowing these corporatists to continue usurping more and more POWER.

I’ve never heard more than a “peep,” for instance out of the so-called “liberal” media outlet MSNBC regarding “Citizens United” – the worst Supreme Court decision of my lifetime,  (followed closely by the “gutting” of the Voting Rights Act – which has allowed MULTIPLE Voter Suppression schemes of the republicans to become reality)  So, it’s no wonder to me that many of the “educated” adults I know have ZERO knowledge of what Citizens United, for example, is.  The younger college graduates I worked with before I retired from teaching didn’t grow up during the days of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement.  For me, it’s a tragedy that the Voting Rights Act could be “gutted” with little to NO outrage from our “liberal media.”  These two issues and their ramifications SHOULD be a focus of people like Matthews, but he (and others) act as if “it’s no big deal” – while the wealthy in America continue to buy a government that will work for the interests of Wall Street at the expense of “Main Street.”  This has been going on since Reagan took office and it’s now reaching the scary point – because, it’s now becoming clear the sophisticated strategy that people like the now infamous Koch brothers have been implementing since (actually before) Reagan’s election is in danger of becoming a reality.

The statistics are undeniable – since 1980 the wealth at the “top” has grown exponentially and the wealth in the “middle” and “bottom” has stagnated at best.  In fact, the number of Americans who now fall in the bottom – taking measures of poverty into account – is continually INCREASING.  The Citizens United decision almost GUARANTEES this discrepancy in where America’s wealth is “headed” will continue.  As stated above, I refer to the republican economic plan as “trickle up” economics – and, I believe the FACTUAL statistics would support that contention.

So, why are people like Chris Matthews focused on finding the next (non) crisis at the “White House?”  I do remember that during the Clinton administration there was nary a day when the republican congress wasn’t focused more on finding a “scandal” than on solving problems that faced “we the people.”  So, I guess that’s what “floats the boat” of Matthews and his associates.  It must make for better ratings.  However, I believe elections matter and if the republicans succeed in taking back the Senate in November (which, at this point, seems likely) there will be many more besides myself who just completely tune out from our government.  And, I have to add, this is NOT healthy.  It is exactly what the republicans have been working for over these past 35+ years.  (the idea behind the voter suppression campaign is, obviously, having less people – especially liberals – voting)

I’ve laid out their strategy many times on this site – I’ll try to do it again briefly as I end this rant.  “Big business” hated the New Deal from its inception.  This all started (at least from my perspective) with the tax cuts for the top earners (like Reagan himself) which was the headline of the “Reagan revolution.”  At the same time (and, by the way, Reagan instituted MANY tax increases on the “middle class”) there was MASSIVE increases in defense spending (I’m sure you’re familiar with the amount of $’s “invested” by the “military industrial complex” in our politicians) and the process of deregulation began along with the “theory” of privatization.  Reagan famously said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.'”  Thus was born things like private military’s (ie Blackwater), private prisons (where the incentive is anything but rehabilitation), and all kinds of “private” attempts to “cut government down to the size where it can be drained in the bathtub.”  Right wing Talk radio became part of the strategy during Reagan’s term – using the “big lie theory” of Joseph Goebbels to generate their propaganda – that’s when Rush Limbaugh (and lessor others) was “thrust” upon an unsuspecting public – and, he’s still doing his damage to this day.  Reagan led the assault on unions – despite the FACT he was once the head of the Screen Actors Guild.  And, for my purposes in this post, finally, Reagan demonstrated that presidents and their associates could disregard the law and expect no ramifications from it (Iran/Contra) – and, we’ve been seeing the “fruit” from that “reality” ever since.

While Reagan was “doing his part,” people like the Koch’s were “growing” like a bad virus.  They’ve been working behind the scenes since before Reagan was elected, but were considered “fringe” wacko’s back then.  In fact, David Koch ran for Vice President as a “libertarian” the year Reagan first won the presidency.  You guessed it, Reagan was too LIBERAL for the Koch’s!  They (the Koch brothers) have been busy since those days funneling money into “local” elections around the nation to surreptitiously increase their impact on American politics while no one was looking (and secretly merging into the republican party).  I learned about the Kochs several years ago by listening to Thom Hartman on “liberal talk radio” – which has been pretty much removed from the airwaves – unless you’re willing to invest in satellite radio.  Other than with people like Hartman, for years they managed to be “invisible.”  They (the Kochs) are behind the Heritage Institute, the Cato Institute (both right wing “think tanks”), they’re the funding source for the Tea Party, and more importantly (in my mind) ALEC (The American Legislative Exchange Council) which is a right wing political force that has influenced untold “local” legislation in state after state where legislators seem to need “help” in making laws.  They’ve funded efforts to gerrymander legislative districts to minimize the effects of “progressive” voters (especially minority voters), and they have supported legislation which has made it possible to use tax havens (such as the Cayman Islands) to create unsavory operations to make even MORE money outside of U.S. borders.  If you want more, click here.

The Koch’s come from the John Birch Society (which accused President Eisenhower of being a “communist” and in today’s politics is the “Tea Party”) and have (and are willing to) invest untold amounts of their BILLIONS on buying our Congress and legislatures and governorships all across the nation.  The Birch Society has a history of antisemitism and White Supremacists.  They (the JBS members) were rejected as too extreme by ultra conservative William F Buckley.  Their 35+ year crusade to gain control of our society is dangerously close to success.

Unfortunately, by the time they’ve succeeded, people like Matthews will be finding someone else to blame for the resulting disaster besides themselves – as people with access to the American airwaves who are indirectly (or, for that matter, it could be directly – that’s one of the features of our “Citizens United” society – we don’t know) doing the Koch’s bidding.  I’ve stomached enough of Chris Matthews to understand that he “knows better” – that is, he fully well knows what the right wing republicans are up to – I have to believe that it just wouldn’t be “good theater” for him to take his focus off of nit-picking at our president in a time of WAR, and get his attention on the REAL agenda of the right wing republicans who answer to people like Charles and David Koch? (like, why wasn’t Matthews going “after” Obama when he chose to “pardon” GW Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and all the others for committing WAR CRIMES?)

The republican “dream” of a “permanent republican ‘majority'” consists of control of the Courts, the Congress, the White House, and the MEDIA.  With the help of people like Chris Matthews they will soon be one step from achieving their “dream.”  And, with the help of “Citizens United” it will be extremely difficult to “turn things around” should they succeed.  I’m guessing Chris Matthews next heresy will be promoting a republican presidential candidate in an attempt to create “good ratings.”  On the surface, the available GOP candidates are almost laughable.  The other day I heard Matthews essentially encouraging another run by Mitt Romney.  Despite the FACT Romney represents all that is wrong right now in America (137 Cayman Island tax cheating “havens” for starters) I’m sure Matthews is thinking Romney would make it more of a contest than – say – Ted Cruz.   The only way republicans could possibly get their “message” to resonate with the American public, is with the help of people like Matthews and our”liberal media.”

If you are interested in getting a good idea of where this is all headed, read Stiglitz book mentioned above, “The Price of Inequality.”  Economists like Stiglitz and Paul Krugman, believers in Keynesian economics, have been calling it RIGHT since I started paying closer attention to the internal destruction of my country (ie, circa Bush/Cheney) – while the people on the “right” – such as those who support “trickle up” economics and what Stiglitz calls the Washington consensus – people like Paul Ryan and others who idolize Milton Friedman (and Friedman’s so-called “free market” economics) continue to get it WRONG (unless your viewing things from the perspective of someone in the 1% who can’t get enough money).  The statistics don’t lie.  People like Matthews and the others in similar positions are all part of the 1% – I don’t know about you, but that causes me to wonder what motivates them to ignore present realities in order to appear “fair and balanced?”  Think about it before you vote!  Mitch McConnell and the Koch brothers were a large part of the force behind the push for “Citizens United.”  Should the republicans take total control of Congress in 2014 we’ll see even MORE evidence exposing the gravity of this disastrous Supreme Court ruling!

I don’t know why I even bother to watch TV “news” anymore – I guess it’s just a bad habit formed over the past 60+ years – but, today I listened as Chris Matthews started his program by accusing President Obama of being “intellectually lazy.”  He was referring to what he called the tendency of 2nd term presidents to replace cabinet officials who leave with “underlings.”  The discussion was centered on the issues regarding the Secret Service failures recently, the news that an Ebola patient has made it into the U.S., and the ISIL dilemma in the Middle East.  Honestly, as I’m sitting there listening to Matthews he was reminding me of republican projectionism.  In my mind, it’s Matthews and “reporters” of his ilk who are “intellectually lazy.”

Matthews comes on (I watch him because he follows Reverend Al Sharpton on MSNBC – I respect “Reverend Al” as many call him) and day after day rants in the traditional “knee jerk” reaction style that (unfortunately) seems to be driving what is left of our “liberal media.”  I’ve written about Matthews on several occasions and the guy continues to cause me to want to turn off my TV.  It’s as if Matthews has totally bought into the Fox “news” propaganda scheme that EVERYTHING that happens in America (if it’s “bad”) is the fault of President Obama.

At the beginning of his show he was focused on the resignation of the head of the Secret Service and parsing what was behind her resignation – and, how he could put blame on Obama for this.  Of course, he didn’t mention that the so-called sequester which has been our economic policy for the past couple of years bludgeoned the Secret Service along with many other key parts of our government.  I’m not in any way defending this woman who resigned, in this instance I believe it was necessary because when I listened to her testimony I didn’t get any sense that she was being forthcoming – it sounded to me as if she was in “circle the wagons” mode, and that the security breaches which have happened are beyond acceptability.  I feel we are fortunate that President Obama is still with us.  That being said, it’s not Obama’s fault that the Secret Service is spinning out of control.

If you remember, a few months ago Matthews did the same kind of knee jerk reaction to news (not news to many of us) that our veterans were not getting prompt or acceptable health care by demanding someone be held accountable.  It was as if should President Obama not fire the head of the VA, he would be derelict in his duty.  The end result of that one is that General Shinseki was forced to resign – this is the General who Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld SHOULD have listened to prior to invading Iraq in 2003 (OK, the truth is they should have listened to those of us who said going into Iraq was STUPID) – and, is one of the true friends of our vets.  I can virtually guarantee you that Shinseki’s resignation didn’t solve the problem – but , it certainly calmed Matthews down (at least until the next headline pointing out the vets are continuing to face a VA system that is overwhelmed by the numbers of soldiers needing care.

Matthews referring to an Ebola patient showing up in Texas as reason to question Obama because “just two weeks ago he said it was ‘unlikely’ this would happen” puts Matthews in the “Fox type” camp, in my view.  These people don’t have to look very hard to find something to criticize him for.  Honestly, why would anyone want that job.  You would think that Matthews could put all of what’s happening in the proper context.  We have NEVER had a president who has faced the OPEN opposition that has President Obama.  The republicans have made no secret that they will do ANYTHING to make sure that Obama FAILS!  And, what is President Obama doing each and EVERY day?  He’s trying to somehow clean up the UNBELIEVABLE mess created by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/et al – and an economic agenda that republicans are CLINGING to even today.  The FACT that their agenda doesn’t work seems to mean NOTHING to them and people like Matthews.  It’s almost as if Matthews is trying to add to the divisiveness of this nation because he thinks it makes his program more “germane.”  To me, people like Matthews – who should (and I’m sure does) know better – have chosen to be part of the problem instead of the solution.  This nation is messed up – it’s largely because of the republican party philosophy originally foisted on us by Ronald Reagan – and, somehow still supported by people like Matthews!  Ughhh!!!!

Let’s be real about all of this – I’m writing the next part of this post as fictitious advice to Matthews because I know he won’t read it, but I can pretend :o) – When we’re “reporting” about the issue with ISIL (AKA – ISIS) we should make clear that ISIL is the result of misguided decisions made 10 years ago by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld et al.  I still remember my “conservative” friends rejoicing in the idea that the United States of America was going to “topple” Saddam Hussein – with the same mindset as the republican “leaders” who “planned” the fiasco.  When I would ask them, “What happens after Saddam is ousted?” their response was the same as Cheney and Rumsfeld – “We’ll be greeted as liberators.”  For some reason it was hard then, and – I guess – equally hard now for most Americans to understand that former executives of Halliburton (Cheney) and Bechtel (Rumsfeld) would destabilize the Middle East for OIL!  I still remember one of my fellow 6ht grade teachers cussing at me when I pointed this out – because his son was in Iraq and he couldn’t allow himself to believe that his country would send his boy into “harms way” for OIL!  Not sure if he “gets it” yet – obviously, many still don’t – apparently including Chris Matthews.  In my mind EVERY conversation about what we should do in dealing with this group should be framed in the context of how they were formed and people like Dick Cheney, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and others who crammed this disaster down our throats and the throats of the Iraqi’s should have NO SAY on the national media about present policy.  Instead of furthering the “ammunition” of the obstructors on the “right” people like Matthews (and others with a voice in the national media) should be reminding people of how this mess was created in the first place.

Issues like the Secret Service shortcomings and the lack of treatment of our returning veterans should also ALWAYS put into context.  The sad reality is that Congress has stripped the Secret Service of significant portions of its funding and, since the Viet Nam War, they’ve been unwilling to properly fund the VA – especially relating to medical treatment.  As we’ve seen with the recent bombing rampage intended to “derail” ISIL there’s NEVER a lack of funds for military action.  I’ve often wondered what each of those bombs cost “we the people.”  It doesn’t seem to matter, because there’s a never ending supply of them.  And, people like Matthews are quick to suggest (I should say imply) that our president is a “wimp” for thoughtfully attempting to figure out a way to address this (recent) “crisis.”  I’m constantly wondering why people like Matthews don’t seem to be able to make the connection between Congress stated position (I’m talking about republicans here) that President Obama FAILS, and their unwillingness to fund the agencies who end up being the “fall guys” when government failures become the latest “crisis.”  I’m left to wonder, “Is Fox paying Matthews or MSNBC?”  Or is he just so lazy, referring back to his own criticism of Obama (who, by the way, may be many things, but I believe calling him lazy is absurd on its face and a further issue for Matthews) that he relies on Fox for his own “news?”  If Congress is the problem – then it should be reported as such!

Finally, the Ebola scare: (and, here I have to add that I started this post several days ago and since then the man has passed away) Matthews attempt to BLAME President Obama (maybe that’s just what people in Washington do for everything?) again is absurd on its face.  President Obama has taken the lead in attempting to provide the aid the Western Africa nations need in order to stem the tide of this epidemic.  We all know that republican politicians will do whatever they can to scare people into thinking Ebola will be soon rampant in America and it will be because of our immigration policy.  (Of course, what they – and Matthews – won’t say is that without republican obstructionism there would have been “immigration reform” long ago – but, of course, that wouldn’t solve the problem either)  I’m guessing there will be republicans who suggest that we close our borders to international flights until this crisis has passed – just try to keep it confined to West Africa.  The reality of any danger in America, from my viewpoint, gets right back to our DO NOTHING Congress.  If they had been willing to either help pass a health reform bill that worked for all Americans or FIX the Affordable Care Act (for example, with a “public option”) we wouldn’t still have 40 MILLION or so Americans without health insurance.  Think about this for a moment:  It is likely that there will be more people entering this country who have been exposed to Ebola.  If the symptoms are caught early, my understanding it’s treatable.  However, there are so many in America who don’t go to doctors because they can’t afford it and show up at emergency rooms only when they are deathly sick.  By then, with Ebola, it’s reported to be too late.

Then, you’ve got all the states in America who refused to participate in the Affordable Care Act which would include Texas.  Now, I’m not making any conclusions or judgements about Texas health care – I’m just guessing there’s many in Texas without health care.  And, they man who died from Ebola was originally turned away from an emergency room.  I suppose Matthews (and the republicans) will find a way to blame that on President Obama.  I would love it if people like Matthews would report issues as they are.  Seriously, for example, the ISIL issue is really not debatable.  They are the result of republican FAILURE of the highest degree.  How can anyone in Matthews’ position justify giving people who created that mess any credibility at all.  It’s almost as if, for the sake of his “show” he’s got to create a two sided controversy.  It’s like, if the American people really understood what has gone wrong, there would be no actual political contests – so, we have our “liberal media” helping to institute the political amnesia that is ruining America!  Matthews’ show is set up to appear that he’s actually reporting on actual news – when, in reality he’s attempting to manufacture news.  While our country needs (now, more desperately than ever – at least in my lifetime) courageous news reporters (and, I have to add, there are some investigative journalists who risk their lives to go into the Middle East) what we’re stuck with is GOP TV (Fox) and people like Matthews who are focused on entertainment and their own careers – while our nation continues to “spiral” in a downward direction!

One more thing:  As I read this again, I realized that I forgot – when referring to the anticipated republican onslaught of BLAME regarding the Ebola crisis – that we’ve been without a Surgeon General for (I think) over a year.  Why you ask?  At a time when there’s such a deadly epidemic that’s been going on now for over 6 months?  Well, it seems that President Obama’s nomination made a comment about gun violence that didn’t sit well with the NRA – therefore the US Senate couldn’t get him confirmed.  Yes there’s a majority of democrats in the Senate, but Mitch McConnell used one of his OVER 400 FILIBUSTERS to block the nomination!  I didn’t hear Matthews refer to this either (although, I have to admit, I’ve pretty much turned off the TV) and, if you live in Kentucky and are reading this – you can really help with this HUGE problem.  Make sure you vote in the mid term election – Mitch McConnell has a good chance of being voted out of office by the good people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  Should that happen, they will always hold a warm place in my heart.  In my mind, McConnell being voted out of the Senate would be the best possible sign that the people of America are FINALLY waking up to the republican assault on the middle class which hit high gear with the election of Ronald Reagan all the way back in 1980.