We need to "reboot" America

[catzmeow]

Great column by Thomas Friedman:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/opinion/24friedman.html?_r=1

We don’t just need a bailout in this country, we need a national makeover. That is why the next few months are among the most important in U.S. history.

 

[sealybobo]

Great column by Thomas Friedman:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/opinion/24friedman.html?_r=1

Isn't that what the election did? In 2000, regardless of if Bush stole the election or not, we installed a program called GOP2000. Similar to Windows Vista. It didn't work. It had a lot of bugs in it. It crashed all the time.

So we went out and bought a new software in 06 called Midterm06 and it did a little better job, but we still had a bunch of bad programs still loaded on our computer, so in 2008 we rebooted the harddrive and replaced all those little programs in the Senate and House that were bogging us down.

Now we can start out fresh. And we don't need to look at things negatively like we did when we had that old crappy software/hardware installed.

There are things they said we could not do when the old soft/hardware was installed, but no more. From now on when you wonder if the new computer can do what the old one could not, remind yourself that YES IT CAN.

Our government needs to fix the middle class. Call it protectionalism, socialism, whatever you want. The middle class is what makes this country great. The era where people defend the companies right to pay as little as they can is over. Our government works for We The People and corporations that want to do business in this country will pay us a good wage. If not, they can leave. If they leave, they can not sell their products here.

The GOP gave corporations all the tax breaks they could handle, and still they are not hiring. Instead they are letting people go. So clearly giving them tax breaks does not work like they said. Not only did tax breaks not get them hiring, but it emptied our national treasury.

Stop being house slaves to the rich and powerful. Do you forget they enjoyed record profits in 2004, 2005 & 2006? To the GOP, the last 8 years weren't so bad. So where did those record profits go? The CEO's and BOD's took all the profits from the corporations so they could push to lower our wages. What am I suggesting? I'm suggesting this was all done on purpose.

But they went too far. Right now rich people are even hurting. They are investing in treasury bonds that pay zero % interest! That means no one is making any money.

And for those of you who don't remember that us Democrats did warn you that the economy was not strong, let me remind you how the argument went in 2005:

Dems: Did you hear that unemployment is high, people are falling deeper into debt, health insurance went up 191% since 2001, the dollar is weak and the gap between rich and poor is getting bigger?

GOP: So what? Companies have the right to go overseas for cheap slave labor, retrain yourself, slacker. We want cheap goods and services. And a weak dollar means foreigners will come here to spend $. Also, the rich deserve all the tax breaks. They'll hire more if we give them tax breaks. Besides, have you seen the stock market? It's up!

Now we see how wrong trickle down/Bushanomics/Conservative voodoo economics is for America.

 

[editec]

We can start by opening up the FED window to every person seeking a loan to buy a home, run a business, and so forth.

That single reboot would drastically change this nation forever.

 

[sealybobo]

We can start by opening up the FED window to every person seeking a loan to buy a home, run a business, and so forth.

That single reboot would drastically change this nation forever.

But they say giving loans to risky people is what caused the crisis. Who's absolutely sure they'll have a job next year? Or if you lose your job, are you sure you'll get a new one in 6 months? So none of us are even interested in buying anything right now. Not until the economy gets better.

And a lot of people are interested in making a move, but they can't sell their homes.

I say start bringing manufacturing jobs back home. Good paying jobs is what will fix this economy. That means send the illegals home and stop Bill Gates from hiring Dot Heads from india to do his computer programming for less than what Americans get paid. If he absolutely needs Indians because there really is a shortage of IT pro's in America, then tarrif his ass so they cost him just as much if not more than an American would cost. That way he'll be inclined to want to find Americans. That way he'll give scholarships to Americans IF/WHEN they graduate with an IT degree. He is a liar. He loves hiring foreigners. Not just him, but all of corporate America. If you don't realize that by now then I don't know what to say. Want proof? They say there is a shortage if IT pro's in America yet last year IBM cut it's IT staff's pay 15%. No way they would do that if there was a shortage of IT Staff in America because then IBM would lose their IT staff.

The GOP montra of keep government out of corporate America's business is pathetic. Especially when you realize it was their involvment that fucked up the economy, so it'll have to be the Democratic government to come in and undo what the GOP did.

What did the GOP do? They gave corporations too many tax breaks and the top 1% too many tax breaks. That put the tax burden on the rest of us. So tax the top 1% and corporations so the treasury gets replenished. Then spend that money on America in America. If Corporations don't do what is best for America and for Americans, then fuck them! This is not the United Corporations of America!!!

Last week I heard healthcare went up 191% since 2001. Way to go GOP. They only want the government to stay out of corporations business when they are screwing us.

And, I heard Bush and Reagan blew Clinton out of the water when it came to descresionary spending. So all this talk about conservative fiscal responsibility is bullshit. They spend MORE than the Dems. It's what they spend it on that is the problem. They spent it all on defense and the top 1%. Defense companies do not employ enough people and the public can not buy bombs from them either. So cut defense spending in half. I know Republicans will say we are weak on defense if we do that, but the fact is, half of defense spending is waste. Buddy contracts. Bullshit contracts. Fraud, theft, fleecing America!!!! So who gives a fuck if we give a welfare mother a few bucks? Pennies compared to the billions the GOP blew on their buddies. And were does the welfare mother spend her money? That's right, in America. The Defense companies moved their HQ's and profits to Dubai.