The Geithner mystery solved

[Octafish]

Glenn Greenwald sheds light on an interesting fellow...

The Geithner mystery solved

By Glenn Greenwald
Salon.com Monday, Sep 19, 2011 06:20 ET

Reviewing "Confidence Men" -- Ron Suskind's new book critically examining President Obama's management of the financial crisis -- The New York Times' Michiko Kakutani ponders this mystery raised by Suskind:

Mr. Suskind suggests that the administration's problems in dealing with the fiscal crisis began with the president's choice of his economic team. He wonders why Mr. Obama turned away from the advisers who had seen him through the campaign (including more progressive thinkers like Mr. Stiglitz, Robert Reich and Austan Goolsbee), and relied instead on two men associated with the deregulatory policies of the past, Mr. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, and Mr. Summers, the chief economic adviser. Both men had served in the Clinton administration (with Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin, who would later join Citigroup as a senior adviser and board member); their actions, Mr. Suskind contends, "had contributed to the very financial disaster they were hired to solve."

Of course, one might ask the same of Obama's penchant for filling the most important positions in his administration -- including his Vice President, Secretary of State, and Defense Secretary -- with supporters of the Iraq War. But about Geithner, Suskind unwittingly solved the mystery he raised: Kakutani notes that "one top banker quoted in these pages refers to as 'our man in Washington' for helping avert more systemic changes affecting Wall Street."

CONTINUED...

http://www.salon.com/news/timothy_geithner/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2011/09/19/geithner

Don't hate Greenwald. He's only reporting things as DUers who follow systemic bank fraud see them.

[polichick]

1. Unfortunately, Pres. Obama's admin. choices showed very early on that...

..."change we can believe in" was a cynical campaign slogan.

REAL CHANGE would have involved a whole other cast of characters.

[DCKit]

2. Stephen Chou (Energy Sec.) is one of very few appointments I was happy with.

Most all the rest are all corporate stooges.

[JDPriestly]

26. And why do I suspect that the Soladyne scandal is aimed to

end Chou's service on the Obama Cabinet?

Earlier this afternoon Pro Sense posted something about Obama's speech, and I said immediately that it sounded like something I could support. Then I heard Ian Masters' interview with David Cay Johnson. Seems the tax increase on the very rich is just about the same as the interest rate that American seniors are now receiving on their savings from the banks -- a tiny maybe 1.2%.

Literally a tiny drop in the bucket when you compare it to the Bush tax cuts -- really pretty meaningless.

David Cay Johnson seemed to think that the speech was just a clever election ploy. I will have to see for myself, but I am preparing for yet another huge disappointment.

I so want to think that Obama is playing straight, but the evidence does not support what I would like to think.

I don't know whether the September 19, 2011 show is on Ian Masters' site yet, but here is the link to that site.

http://ianmasters.com

[renate]

49. oh nooooo... I never even thought of that

Oh, that would be so sad... I like him so much!

And yet I I think you might be on to something... oil and gas have reason to be anti-Chu, and what oil and gas want, oil and gas get:

America, Chu says, is the only place in the world where there’s an actual “debate” over climate science. He blamed the confused political situation largely on the fossil fuel industry, which, he says, has been effective in sowing doubt and “who have an interest in seeing that action isn’t taken. This reminds me exactly of what we saw in the tobacco industry.”
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/08/30/308127/energy-secretary-steven-chu-climate-science/

[tblue]

52. He's playing us. I feel violated.

I was starting to get energized by parts of the speech. But I have learned with this potus you have to wait and see.

Now I am just waiting for the excuses and the fine print to wash it away.

I feel violated, once again.

Starting to think ProSense is a plant.

[CoffeeCat]

62. Yeahhh....

I spent months listening to and believing in campaign speeches.

Then...Obama spent the last few years kow towing to the corporations,
Wall Street and the health-insurance lobby. Many broken promises such
as the closing of Guantanamo, the return of Habeas Corpus and I'm sorry--
but when he touted being against the Iraq war, he knew exactly what we
would infer. That, in general, he was opposed to these crazy, neocon
wargames. He widened the neocon war. The PNAC playbook spelled out
what they wanted: Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria. It's all almost too sick
to believe.

So now, when he gives a speech, I don't tune in. Been there, done that.

I watch what he does. Nothing more.

Because speeches obviously DO NOT matter.

[Myrina]

70. You are right about the plant.

Among others who consistently march out the same links/stats/talking points.


:hide:

[aquamarina]

66. Yeah, I heard that interview too.

I was stunned at how little the actual rate would go up - and they're whining like it will break the bank for them. Pathetic.

[bvar22]

71. Combine THAT statement with THIS one,

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will veto a comprehensive deficit reduction package IF it includes cuts to entitlement program benefits BUT no tax hikes on the wealthy..."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=775829&mesg_id=775856

...and we now have all the ingredients for the next SCAM.




You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.

Solidarity!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[JDPriestly]

84. True.

[truedelphi]

41. What is Chou's stand on nuke energy?

Does he understand that we in the USA have 124 of the same poorly designed GE nuke plants as the one that is now irradiating Japan?

Does he support the nuclear death industry, or does he support ending the entitlements that the Nuclear power people always get from the US government.

Wall Street won't even loan the nuclear power people any money on account of liability. So the money always ends up coming from the US government, the same government that tells individual states that they cannot get loans. Yet Obama keeps saying that he has no problems with offering up the nuclear people some 54 billions of dollars.

[AtheistCrusader]

43. IIRC there are only 16 GE mark 1 BWR's in the US, in operation.

[truedelphi]

81. Thank you for the correction.

As usual, I was 'mem,bering numbers from an article I read three weeks ago.

Good to know the right number of sixteen.(124 being the total of GE plants here in the US. IIRC.))

[AtheistCrusader]

83. At the very least, those 16 MUST go, soon.

We're playing chicken with geology, keeping them online. The Mark II's and up, and the other designs, like the PWR's need to be re-evaluated and scrapped too, if they can't meet a decent safety level.

[kimsarah]

45. Chou Chou, Whoo Whoo!

Chou and Big O support the Nuclear Energy Institute's position that we need more nucler power plants for the next 40 years, by renewing all licenses from the outdated plants we have now, and building more of them -- not at Wall Street's risk, but the taxpayers' expense. Energy policy (along with our continued dependence on fossil fuels) maintains a never-ending flow of publicly subsidized monies to the corporate elite so our CEOs and Wall Street can continue to get fatter.

[truedelphi]

82. That's what I figured about Chou.

They need to start serving these guys the fish that Marge Simpson cooked up for Mr Burnes!

[Octafish]

3. Geithner and Bernanke's Possibly Criminal Roles -- Lehman Brothers Scandal Rocks the Fed

This goes beyond politics. This goes to what kind of life We the People will live.

Compared to the people who are getting away with our Treasury, it's not looking very prosperous. Ever.

Geithner and Bernanke's Possibly Criminal Roles

Lehman Brothers Scandal Rocks the Fed

By MIKE WHITNEY
CounterPunch
March 15, 2010

After a year-long investigation, court-appointed bank examiner Anton Valukas has produced a deadly 2,200 page report which details the activities that led to the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. The report is a keg of dynamite. The question now is whether anyone in government has the nerve to light the fuse. Valukas provides powerful evidence that Lehman executives were involved in “balance sheet manipulation” by implementing an arcane accounting procedure called “Repo 105” which masked the bank's true financial condition from investors and regulators.

According to Valukas, Lehman was “Unable to find a United States law firm that would provide it with an opinion letter permitting the true sale accounting treatment" using Repo 105. So, Lehman executives went outside of the country in an effort to enlist the support of a London law firm that would approve the procedure.

It is impossible to overstate the significance of Valugas's findings. The report exposes the opaque but central role of the repo market which provides essential short-term loans for financial institutions. (Lehman used repos to conceal the full extent of its collapse, by dint of the amount of leverage it was using, meaning the pitiful asset anchor tethered to a vast zeppelin of debt) More importantly, it shows the cozy and, very probably criminal relationship between the country's main regulatory bodies and the Wall Street behemoths. The activities of the New York Fed (NYFRB), which at the time was headed by Timothy Geithner, is particularly suspect in this regard. The report should trigger an immediate Congressional investigation, probing the whole affair and most importantly the role of the Fed.

Naked Capitalism's Yves Smith, who has apparently sifted through all 2,200 pages of the report, has done some first-rate analysis of the details. Here's an excerpt from her Friday posting:

"Quite a few observers... have been stunned and frustrated at the refusal to investigate what was almost certain accounting fraud at Lehman. ....The unraveling isn’t merely implicating Fuld (Lehman’s CEO) and his recent succession of CFOs, or its accounting firm, Ernst & Young, as might be expected. It also emerges that the NY Fed, and thus Timothy Geithner, were at a minimum massively derelict in the performance of their duties, and may well be culpable in aiding and abettingLehman in accounting fraud and Sarbox violations....

CONTINUED...

http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney03152010.html

Where is the FBI?

[sabrina 1]

13. I remember reading that the FBI, as far back as 2005

were investigating fraud in the Mortgage industry. They were aware of the corruption, but rather than give them more manpower, Bush reduced the number of agents who were looking into the fraud claiming they were 'needed to fight terror'.

[Raster]

22. Excuse my language...

No fucking shit!

[Marie Marie]

38. Language excused! Well said.

[kimsarah]

44. Four more years! Four more years!

Note how distant "REAL" has been from the promised change. That is why the Republicans have been so smug, salivating that there will actually be "NO" change from the actual actions and unbelievable cast of characters this administration has piled upon us thus far. They win either way. Hedge bettors either win, or win big.

[LWolf]

63. +1

[newspeak]

74. thanks octafish!

yes, and every time anyone mentions those appointments, we've got the defenders. Anyone could see what direction we were going by just seeing who he appointed. When Little boots spent eight damn years to flush anyone out who wasn't a "loyalist" and then a new administration comes in and keeps some of the same people, some of the same people in the military after little boots purged some of our more honest officers. He purged some in the FBI and CIA, but you don't make sweeping changes? Now look who is heading the CIA?

To me, it's absolutely scary shite!

[me b zola]

4. K&R

[Octafish]

6. American taxpayer could be forced to foot the bill if Fed's bailout of faltering Eurozone turns sour

Things could always be worse. Oh.

American taxpayers could be forced to foot the bill if Fed's bailout of faltering Eurozone turns sour

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in Poland to meet with European finance ministers

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 2:27 PM on 18th September 2011

Comments (22) Add to My Stories Share

American taxpayers could end up footing the bill if the United States' bailout of the faltering Eurozone turns sour.

At present, U.S. citizens are fairly well protected, but if the crisis continues to grow and America takes on a greater role, risk to consumers and taxpayers in the country will increase, according to economists.

The biggest exposure could come from America's status as the single largest source of money for the International Monetary Fund.

CONTINUED...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2038757/Eurozone-crisis-US-taxpayers-forced-foot-Feds-bailout-turns-sour.html#ixzz1YPXFsUuy

Gosh. No wonder The Fed does all it can to keep its workings secret.

[me b zola]

15. I've been having that "oh, *this* is what they meant by globalization" moment

Its not enough that our tax dollars go to support uber wealthy American bankers, they are going to squeeze us from over-seas as well.

I saw on BBC last week when they were talking about Geithner going to go to Europe to tell them that to stave off another credit crunch they would need to funnel big bucks into their banks. My head almost exploded. Then I was glad to hear that Europeans showed Geithner the door, but now I'm back to exploded head mode-- x100. Just WTF.

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. Saw the same thing.... he is a tool for the banks

just look at his history.

[DrunkenBoat]

48. Banking: One big global club, and you're not in it.

[abelenkpe]

24. Odd

I posted a story about the fed's bailout last week and was told that it wasn't a bailout just currency swaps and it wouldn't cost the US anything.

[lib2DaBone]

80. American Tax-Payer money was used to build Germany before WWII.

The Federal Reserve also gave large sums of American tax money to Russia many times since the 1940's.

The American Media will not even go near the truth about the TARP funds that were funneled off by the Federal Reserve and given to German and Swiss Banks.

Unless the USA can once again issue "Green Back Dollars" and dump the Fed.. there is no hope of recovery.

[ChandlerJr]

5. MIHOP or LIHOP?

How could the smartest guy in the room have been a party to this? How could he have ignored the warnings on his desk.

[newblewtoo]

28. do you mean

Geithner or Obama. Obama told us Geithner was the only guy who could handle this crisis?

[Beam Me Up]

7. I wasn't fooled the first time and certainly won't be this time, either:

The article quotes Matt Taibbi:

Listening to Obama talk about jobs and shared prosperity yesterday reminded me that we are back in campaign mode and Barack Obama has started doing again what he does best -- play the part of a progressive. He's good at it. It sounds like he has a natural affinity for union workers and ordinary people when he makes these speeches. But his policies are crafted by representatives of corporate/financial America, who happen to entirely make up his inner circle.

Source: "http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/obama-and-jobs-why-i-dont-believe-him-anymore-20110906">Obama and Jobs: Why I Don't Believe Him Anymore."

Does that mean I support a Republican? Hell no. Unlike Taibbi, I never bought into "Hope you can believe in" in the first place. It is DELUSIONAL to believe that ANY "President of the United States" is going to challenge the existing structures of power behind this nation now. REAL CHANGE can NOT come through politics as usual. Not any more. I've been saying this since before Bush The Second was installed and have been saying it ever since. The Office of the President today is no different than that of a CEO beholding not to the consumers of the companies products (us) but to the stock holders and board of directors (not us). For all practical purposes his role is not one of leadership so much as PR. HIS (be it Obama or Bush or whomever) is the FACE that gets splashed across our media screens and onto which we can PROJECT our hopes and fears. If he's a Republican, the Democrats hate him. (I certainly hated Bush.) Conversely, if he's a Democrat, the Republicans hate him. Thus the "little people" are kept in a constant state of a "tempest in a teapot." Meanwhile the real structures of power behind the glitz of the media they own literally get away with murder. Lots of it.

edit typo

[Vincardog]

19. BMU gets it ^

[rhett o rick]

20. I agree with you. I dont think it is possible today to elect a president that will

represent WE THE PEOPLE. The oligarchs have way too much power. I honestly dont have much hope. They will continue to drain us dry at an accelerated pace until we are Haiti. The mass will be lulled into stupor until it's too late. It may already be too late. Any type of violent revolution will help the oligarchs clamp down even more.

[truedelphi]

42. The comparison to HAiti is one that comes to my mind also.

Have you read the recent Rolling Stone article about Haiti? I never knew before that article how truly fucked over that nation has been.

And Bill Clinton helped destroy the country, not once, but twice!

[rhett o rick]

46. I think Haiti is a good example of the success (?) of capitalism. nm

[lib2DaBone]

79. Any President who goes against the Fed Reserve bankers will be killed...

Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, John Kennedy.. all had plans for the USA to issue "Interest Free" money... and they were shot dead.

[tex-wyo-dem]

30. Yes, BMU definitely gets it...

A sad truth.

It's all smoke-and-mirrors...and congress is the kabuki theater. The true powers aren't talked about in our media, much less their faces splashed across the TeeVee.

There is only one way this will get fixed, and that depends on people, everyone, left & right, putting their differences aside and focusing on and demanding getting big money out of politics and putting power in the hands of the People.

But the PTB's divide-and-concur techniques have pretty much assured this will likely never happen.

[jwirr]

8. I remember at the time it was portrayed as a way to assure the

banksters and wall street. In addition to the bailouts. Wonder when he is going to start assuring the bottom 90%? He had a chance with Elizabeth Warren but that fell through. I cannot think of one single appointee that gives me hope.

[blindpig]

9. Whodda thunk?

k&r

[Ichingcarpenter]

14. Its been rather obvious to some of us

and painful... those that scoff at this article
need to WAKE UP.

[bobthedrummer]

10. K&R n/t

[arikara]

11. A real gem found within this article

...(And just by the way, replacing the word "despite" with the phrase "because of" is -- in general -- one of the most valuable tools for translating Washington propaganda into reality; here is an excellent example showing how that works, from the first paragraph of a New York Times article two weeks ago:

Documents found at the abandoned office of Libya’s former spymaster appear to provide new details of the close relations the Central Intelligence Agency shared with the Libyan intelligence service -- most notably suggesting that the Americans sent terrorism suspects at least eight times for questioning in Libya despite that country's reputation for torture.

Note how the paragraph instantly transforms from misleading nonsense into obvious truth simply by changing "despite" to "because of"; this repeatedly is an effective instrument for deciphering propaganda -- e.g., the U.S. continues to brutalize people in the Muslim world "despite" the fact that doing so produces more Terrorism and thus ensures Endless War.)...

[arikara]

12. A real gem found within this article

...(And just by the way, replacing the word "despite" with the phrase "because of" is -- in general -- one of the most valuable tools for translating Washington propaganda into reality; here is an excellent example showing how that works, from the first paragraph of a New York Times article two weeks ago:

Documents found at the abandoned office of Libya’s former spymaster appear to provide new details of the close relations the Central Intelligence Agency shared with the Libyan intelligence service -- most notably suggesting that the Americans sent terrorism suspects at least eight times for questioning in Libya despite that country's reputation for torture.

Note how the paragraph instantly transforms from misleading nonsense into obvious truth simply by changing "despite" to "because of"; this repeatedly is an effective instrument for deciphering propaganda -- e.g., the U.S. continues to brutalize people in the Muslim world "despite" the fact that doing so produces more Terrorism and thus ensures Endless War.)...

[Mosaic]

87. We don't have the money for 'endless war'

Kill that meme!

[Ichingcarpenter]

17. Watch inside job again he is Mr. Goldman Sachs

That movie was kind to him as compared to what he really is.

He's a nasty capitalist PIG.

[SammyWinstonJack]

67. But he's Obama's nasty capitalist PIG, so makes everything A-OKAY!

:evilgrin:

[slipslidingaway]

18. knr - Update II ...

"...Perhaps most notable about the Suskind chapter on which Kakutani focuses is the process by which Obama featured progressive economists during the campaign, only to immediately subordinate them to Wall-Street-subservient officials once in power.

...That's why -- after 2 1/2 years -- we suddenly see an outburst of "fighting for jobs" and, now, a call to raise taxes on the rich. He does that precisely because everyone -- especially the rich -- knows it will not and cannot happen. We're now formally in (re-)election season, so it's time again to haul out the progressive music.

...UPDATE II: VastLeft expresses some of this in cartoon form: "

[nashville_brook]

21. herein lies Obama's Reagan admiration -- to be the spokesman-in-chief

well, that and being big money's bestest friend.

[KoKo]

23. That was an interesting read.. K&R!

[stevedeshazer]

25. Thanks, Octafish.

Great post.

[Starry Messenger]

27. k&r

[ramapo]

29. Follow the money

Note that Goldman Sachs is very high on the list of Obama donors. It should be no surprise, disappointing maybe, that Obama had to protect those who gave the most. It all comes down to the money. You just get elected president? Great, now you will do what we want because we are due our ROI.

Simple math really. And that is what our system of government is all about.

[INdemo]

31. I think we could find the answer for obama's financial team here

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638

[defendandprotect]

35. Couldn't be clearer -- "Follow the money" -- !! Politicians for sale -- !!

[UTUSN]

32. Wow, hatred for Hillary. What has she done for 30 yrs to earn it?!1 n/t

[unkachuck]

33. K&R....n/t

[lonestarnot]

34. I turned pea green when I saw his appointments. Detested those appointments.

Knew we would not get out of this fucking mess on that day. :crazy: Was that really a mystery? It wasn't to me.

[hifiguy]

78. Same here

My first response, unchallenged to this day was ":wtf: is going on here anyway?" I knew we were screwn.

[defendandprotect]

36. Koch Bros. DLC/Rahm Emmanuel and the "team" were the beginning and the END -- !!

Told us everything we needed to know about Obama and who he is working for -- !!

[Major Hogwash]

37. Greenwald's credibility is as solid as it ever was.

Which is to say, he almost has some left.

[tomp]

58. i'll see your bald assertion....

....with one "obama sucks ass," and raise with "the democratic party sucks ass."

you apparently don't seem to understand that you don't get to speak for others. when you say greenwald has no credibility, you can only seriously mean he has none with YOU.

[Beacool]

39. Excellent article, thank you.

"That's why -- after 2 1/2 years -- we suddenly see an outburst of "fighting for jobs" and, now, a call to raise taxes on the rich. He does that precisely because everyone -- especially the rich -- knows it will not and cannot happen. We're now formally in (re-)election season, so it's time again to haul out the progressive music. Some Democrats are honest and cynical enough to acknowledge that Obama is doing all these things purely for political gain and -- because his re-election is their top priority -- to celebrate it even while acknowledging it will never become reality. From that perspective, I suppose having him give speeches where he advocates for jobs and taxes on the rich is preferable to his endorsing austerity and Reaganomics as he had been doing for months But whatever else is true, none of this presages an actual change in how the government functions or, especially, on whose behalf it labors. That's precisely why he feels free to advocate such things without alienating his funding base. It's still the government of Tim Geithner and his bosses/owners; election season (combined with rising elite fear of social unrest) just requires a bit more pretense to obscure that fact."

:-(

[Safetykitten]

40. Oh dear, this is why we can't have nice things.

[amborin]

47. K&R the film, "Inside Job," showed some of this...thanks for posting this

[Hubert Flottz]

50. The GOPers never did leave the White House...

Obama has pissed away what might have been our last best chance to repair the damage the republicans have done over the past 50 years. The voters tried to do the right thing, but we were herded to the slaughter, by the DLC ass kissing Judas goats.

[DeSwiss]

51. K&R!!!

It ain't robbery, it's a business cycle

Capitalism is about one thing: aggregating the surplus productive value of the public for private interests. As we have said, it is about creating state sanctioned "investments" for the workers who produce the real wealth. Things like home "ownership" and mortgages, or stock investments and funds to absorb their retirement savings. That crushing 30-year mortgage with two refis is an investment. So is that 401K melting like a snow cone at the beach.

As the people's wealth accumulates, it is steadily siphoned off by government and elite private forces. From time to time, it is openly plundered for their benefit by way of various bubbles, depressions or recessions and other forms of theft passed off as unavoidable acts of nature/god. These periodic raids and draw downs of the people's wealth are attributed to "business cycles." Past periodic raids and thefts are heralded as being proof of the rationale. "See folks, it comes and goes, so it's a cycle!" Economic raids and busts become "market adjustments."

Public blackmail and plundering through bailouts become "necessary rescue packages." Giveaways to corporations under the guise of public works and creating employment become "stimulus." The chief responsibility of economists is to name things in accordance with government and corporate interests. The function of the public is to acquire debt and maintain "consumer confidence." When the public staggers to its feet again and manages to carry more debt, buy more poker chips on credit to play again, it's called a recovery. They are back in the game.

~ http://www.joebageant.com/joe/2010/07/waltzing.html">Joe Bageant, "Waltzing at the Doomsday Ball"

RIP - Joe Bageant (1946-2011)

[Divernan]

59. Yup. O "belatedly feigns populist stands he knows will never pass Congress."

[Divernan]

60. O: "I'm not a populist or progressive, but I play them in campaigns."

[SammyWinstonJack]

68. LOVE IT!

:thumbsup:

[DeSwiss]

75. It's a pity many others can't see it.

People are seeing in his acts, what they want to see. And hearing in his words, what they want to hear. But just as it was the "anti-Communist Nixon" who was the only one who could "go to China" -- only Barack Obama, a person they knew was genuinely one of them, could be the one to preside over the beginning of the dismantling of the social safety net.


- And dismantle it they intend to do. That's why they hired him and why they'll keep him on.....

[Larry Ogg]

73. Thanks for the link DeSwiss

Seeing the world and political con-games for what it is, is a rare gift of common sense, and a treasure to be shared.

Thank you for pointing out Joe Bageant, I really enjoyed his article.

[DeSwiss]

76. De Nada.

Joe Bageant was a born truth-teller and way-shower. And I find that I have to limit my reading of him, because that much truth in these days and times is often too disheartening to withstand. And as difficult as his message to us is to take, in it lies our only chance. Gandhi knew it. King knew it. And Joe knew it too. That we must some how learn to work together with the very people we here at DU deride, incessantly. They are not the enemy, but one of its many dupes and pawns.

- Joe knew this because he was one of them. But then underneath it all, so are we.....

Excerpts: 'http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/35764734">Video' (2007)

"Folks seldom talk politics or current events except during the final weeks before an election and when prompted by lefty agitators like me, or grassroots neocon Republican operatives -- people who understand that the four cornerstones of the American political psyche are (1) emotion substituted for thought, (2) fear, (3) ignorance, (4) propaganda.

Why had the working class so plainly voted against their own interest? And will they do so again?

I am standing in the checkout line at the Food Lion. The lady in front is telling the clerk how her church rallied to buy her and Eddie a secondhand truck after theirs was repossessed: "It only needs a front tire and new brakes." "Praises be to Him!" exclaims the clerk, as if God had come down to personally deliver the 1990 Toyota himself. Obviously they are all born-again. The wife grabs up her purchases, a sixer of Diet Pepsi, a carton of Little Debbie Cakes, and moves on to the door."

Behind me are four or five other customers who could be their doubles, overweight, cheap clothing, looking as though they'd been shot at and missed, and shit at and hit, each of them with his or her own assortment of money, health and legal problems. The fact is, liberals and working people need each other to survive the growing economic calamity delivered to us by the regime that promised to "run this country like a business." The left must come face-to-face with Americans who do not necessarily share all of their priorities especially with Americans who have not been voting."

So I sit here watching fat Pootie in a T-shirt that reads: ONE MILLION BATTERED WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY AND I'VE BEEN EATING MINE PLAIN! That this is not considered especially offensive says all you need to know about cultural and gender sensitivity around here. And the fact that Pootie votes, owns guns and is allowed to purchase hard liquor is something we should all probably be afraid to contemplate.

The Nazis gave the German people the Jews to hate. The Republicans have given the American people the gays and Muslims to hate."

http://www.joebageant.com/">~Joe Bageant -- "Deer Hunting With Jesus"

[DallasNE]

53. So You're For James "Rick" Perry?

Frankly, let's look at the results. In January 2008 nearly 700,000 Americans lost their jobs and GDP shrank more than 8% in the 4th quarter of 2008. From this "going over the cliff" position to the recession ending in the fall of 2009 is a remarkable turnaround. Perhaps unmatched in American history. That alone should warrant reelection but Obama and his team don't get any credit for some reason. In fact, it is being played as a major failure. History will be kind to the Obama administration. Why aren't Americans? Is it because he isn't white? Come up with a better answer, if you can.

[Bluebear]

55. Yes that's always the retort

Yes, the OP wants Perry to win.

[DeSwiss]

56. Pathetic. n/t

[eridani]

57. Because slowing the slide into a ditch isn't the same thing as

--climbing out of it? Things still suck on the ground for huge masses of the unemployed, underemployed and underpaid.

[fascisthunter]

64. "Why Do You Hate America?"

or why not use, "When did you stop beating your wife," while you are at it. Very goofy.

[SammyWinstonJack]

69. -1

FAIL!

[Larry Ogg]

72. Manipulating a fraud to give the appearance of averting a disaster...

is like putting a fresh coat of paint on a sinking ship.

"History will be kind to the Obama administration."

Especially when future debt slaves and cannon fodder begin to worship Tyrants, Oligarchs, psychopaths, and paper chains, as some kind of God.

But then, amazing things can happen when you dumb down the population, stupid people can be made to believe anything.

[DallasNE]

86. Are You Talking About Yourself Here?

You sure as hell aren't talking about me.

[hulka38]

54. K&R

[formercia]

61. Pilgrims Society

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/sociopol_pilgrimsociety01.htm

Geithner has been president since 2003

He is very well connected......

[fascisthunter]

65. Well, now folks Know...

...our democracy is rigged for the wealthy and corporate elite.

[hifiguy]

77. Thanks, Octafish

As usual, you pull back the blinds and connect the dots as few here do. Mega props!!

:hi:

[Quantess]

85. Time for a kick.

[Hotler]

88. Kicking n/t

[KoKo]

89. K&R!