GOP JEKYLL HYDE HYPOCRISY

The GOP claims to be our champions! They are for the rights of all Americans.

They also claim to be the party of family values and fiscal responsibility.

They can claim to be anything they like but in this world actions speak where words cannot!

Let's examine a few of these claims.

Err on the side of safety:

Lately it has become clear that even if you find yourself on Homeland Security’s ‘No Fly List’ (created under Republican President Bush) you still have the right to buy a gun.

What could go wrong?

Now to be fair not everyone on the list is a terrorist and some names that appear on it are obvious mistakes but should we not err on the side of safety?

If after a name that should not be on the restrictive list is found and removed the person will once again be allowed to purchase all the killing weapons his heart desires.

And defending your Second Amendment right to bear arms in a well ordered militia generally does not mean an AK47 in every bedroom.

It’s your right to vote!

One of our basic rights in America is the freedom to vote.

In this land of the free all citizens can choose support and vote for their favorite candidate.

Of course at the same time we must keep an eye out for voter fraud.

Remember the long ago joke about Chicago politics, Vote early and often?  It’s a rarity for something like that to happen in this day and age.

In fact there have been fewer than 10 proven cases of voter fraud in the last decade or so. The key word here is “Proven.”

The truth about voter fraud however does not matter to the GOP. What they have found is that since there are far more Americans registered as Democrats than Republican it would be good if fewer Democrats voted or were even able to do so.

They have used the trumped up voter fraud issue as a reason to block an inordinate number of voters from exercising their right to vote.

Not surprisingly those being disenfranchised are generally minorities in mostly Democratic districts.

The GOP has stopped early voting in many areas known to be Democratic and continue to fight against unions.

They have also made it harder for some districts to elect a Democrat by using redistricting or gerrymandering.

This immoral tactic rearranges voting areas so that fewer Democratic legislators can represent a State by positioning as many of their voters into one district while spreading the Republican voters into more.  The result has been shocking but productive for the GOP and there is no reason for them to curtail this action.

Once again the GOP is claiming to be on the side of the people while actually taking away their rights.

All the while claiming to be erring on the side of safety.

Family Values:

I believe nearly every family consists of at least one mother. And for those of you unfamiliar with the word a mother is usually a woman of the female persuasion.

I am being silly but want to make this point very clear because our current GOP has stirred up a great deal of confusion here.  They wish to cut off funding for anything related to the healthcare of women.

Their vendetta against Planned Parenthood is epic and has caused many of their weak minded idiot followers to resort to violence.

The bottom line is if you do not want women to be healthy then you are really not high on the list of people who value the family!

Fiscal Responsibility:

This one is not that hard to refute but still hard to make the Republican base understand since they consistently vote against their own best interest.

Lowering taxes sounds great until you realize that yours will not be going down unless you own a business, a large corporation, a small nation or at least a Congressman.

Republican leaders are not stupid, far from it. They have found the goose that keeps laying their golden eggs in the form of under educated voters and wealthy contributors.

As long as they keep the former in the dark the latter will continue to prosper and send a portion back to the politician.

A tiny amount of research shows the average American has fallen behind more and more ever since Reagan and his voodoo economic policy of trickle down bull shit was enacted.

The wealth gap in America is so astounding that it threatens to push America further into an Oligarchy that can never be peacefully turned around again.

All the while the GOP spews fiscal responsibility phrases they continue to ramp up military spending and try to get the funding for this from cut backs to Social Security and Medicare.

The brilliant strategy has been working even before Eisenhower warned us about it and there is no incentive for them to end it and turn off the spigot.

We must fight terror any way we can!

The GOP is so committed to fighting terror that they demand we get boots on the ground everywhere! Some of these war mongering hawks never put on a uniform in their lives and actively sought ways to avoid military service but your kids can fight for America.

So they never served but they can still help fight terror by enacting laws and hiring the right people to enact them, right?

One of the ways to fight terrorism in the world is to keep funds away from them.

ISIS took over many oil fields and with them the vast wealth that flows from the Earth.

But oil must be turned into money to buy weapons from unscrupulous dealers who only care about their bottom line.

So how can we stop this flow of oil to money to death?

In February of this year President Obama nominated Adam Szubin to be the man to stop this cycle, or at least impede its growth.

He has the support of all sides in Congress and both major parties feel he is the right man for the job.

So why is he not in place as of now?

Why is this man still waiting for a Congressional vote on his approval?

The answer cannot be that the GOP is erring on the side of safety this time.

In fact do yourself a favor and look back to see how many of President Obama's nominees have been approved by Congress. They are the least productive Congress in our history!

Perhaps the real reason they have done very little for America since President Obama took office in 2008 is that President Obama took office in 2008!

There are so many examples of hypocrisy in the Republican Party where they say one thing but not only mean something else they live for something else.

Just saying you are all for peace does not win you a Nobel Prize.

The Jekyll GOP has been incredibly adept at HYDE-ing their evil side for way too long.  It is time for the voters to fight for what is right and stop allowing these self-serving politicians from abrogating their responsibility on the tax payer dime.

Since they have shown themselves to be more Hyde than Jekyll we should show them the door.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

Before you read anything into the posted photo on the right (and the right is definitely where the photo belongs) let me say that I truly have nothing against anyone rising to the top of their particular food chain and earning a great living.  We all strive to better ourselves and when we do we should not be looked upon with disdain or hatred.
Now of course most of us are human and as such we are always looking at the other side of the fence wondering how that guy keeps his lawn so much greener than ours.
But suppose we found out that our green-thumbed neighbor was actually stealing our seeds and fertilizer every night to pepper his field.
I make no determination as to how these gentlemen rose to the top of their unnecessary group (single payer would obsolete these vultures) but one still wonders.
But please do not think the pharma industry is the only one raping our coffers.
Bankers will not be in need of a telethon anytime soon, especially after we infamously bailed them out at the end of the Bush era. (error?)
Of the top earning bank CEOs the least compensated made $3.3 million last year and the average compensation was nearly $20 million.  (Looks like someone is going to demanding a raise!)
So let's juxtapose other Americans against the backdrop of the sweet elite of the pharmaceutical and banking industries and see how we're doing by taking a few items from the news.
(Click the title of each section below for the back-up and more articles on each subject.)

1. Student Debt:  Over 70% of college seniors graduated with nearly $30,000 in student loans which cannot be forgiven in bankruptcy.  Before you can really get going many have to finish their schooling.  And in order to do so you may have to pay an awful large sum of money to the institution of your choice for that education.  Unlike other more civilized countries in the world where they realize their young are their future and they subsidize their college years we treat our young as annuities for the ivy covered halls of higher learning institutions.
2. Living in Poverty:  One in Seven American is living in poverty!  That's over 46 million humans and it's the largest number of people in that undesirable sect in over 54 years!  While some are living high off the hog they seem to be doing so by hogging all the high profits from their businesses while allowing their employees the pleasure of scrounging around the sty for the remains.  And on top of that they are getting all the tax breaks the rest of us can only dream about.
3. Minimum Wage:  The CEOs of America are doing very well thank you but too many are surviving, if it can be called surviving, on a meager $7.25 per hour.  Okay many States are realizing the futility of trying to eat and keep a roof over one's head on that tiny amount and have raised their local wage minimums up but there are many, mostly of the Republican persuasion who are trying to persuade legislators NOT to raise the minimum wage as it will kill businesses and jobs.
4. Unemployment:  While it has gone down under the leadership of President Obama, yes that's right, under his watch the rate is still an unsatisfactory 6.3%.  Sadly this doesn't tell the whole story and while many a pundit will point to this number as proof of a growing economy a more telling number would include how many are so discouraged they no longer even look for a job.  And the best number to show how dismal it is even for those WITH jobs is
5. Household Income: During the twelve years from 2000 to 2012 the median household income fell 6.6%.  Take a moment to let that sink in.  In 2000 the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a high of roughly 11,700.  It hit a new high of 13,350 in 2012!  While that's only an increase of 1½% the Dow has since hit 16,800 at which time it sported a nearly 4½% increase.  The bottom line is while Wall Street and it's Dow Jones top earners are topping their earnings almost daily average Joes may be scrounging for their next meal.  And speaking of households - 
6. Foreclosures:  While the foreclosure rate has dropped overall many States are still way above acceptable levels.  And 1 in 96 homes are foreclosed on and 19% of all homes are deeply under water financially.
7. Homeless Veterans:  An argument for a National embarrassment could easily be started with the fact that many of those who risked their lives for our country come home to trade their military rank for the pleasure of joining the ranks of the homeless.  Of the 634,000 homeless people in 2012 over 62,600 were veterans.  And that brings us to - 
8. Unemployed Vets: This number is even higher than the National Average.  Those who fought our wars from 2001 forward are considered Gulf War-Era II Vets.  Their rate was around 9% in 2013!  Uncle Sam wants YOU! That is until we don't anymore!
9. Women's Health:  There are so many articles on how women's health issues are under attack that it was hard to choose just one article to point to in the above link.  You may 'Google' on your own and spend weeks reading all the fun stories of 'right wing' elements in America forcing Planned Parenthood clinics to shut because they may use the word abortion, a procedure which by the way happens to be currently allowed by law.  Coincidentally the following Republican majority States have placed rules and regulations on the people who run women's clinics that would make a sailor's hair turn white:  Louisiana; Texas; Oklahoma; Iowa; Oregon; Washington; Kansas; Wisconsin and the list is not even complete.  And finally - 
10. Voter Rights: While all the above abuse has been going on we in America still have one trick up our sleeve, the right to vote out the bad leaders and elect ones who will better serve our interests.  That is if we can get to the polls and actually cast our ballot!  Knowing how dangerous an educated electorate could be it is no surprise that certain factions within the government and the lobbies that own them wish to keep the status quo, quo by placing more and more road blocks in our way as we attempt to vote.  Leading the charge to disenfranchise those among us who have had enough and simply will not take it anymore are: Texas; Ohio; North and South Carolina; Florida; Arizona; Alaska; Louisiana; Mississippi; Georgia; Virginia and Michigan.  Scott Walker of Wisconsin wanted desperately to join the list but went too far and the courts overturned his unfair voter ID law.

I guess when you look at all the things our leaders are doing to us rather than for us we really DO need these unbelievably rich pharmaceutical giants, just to get pills to ease our pain.
If only the damn co-pays weren't so high!

Why Do Costs Rise?

We have come to expect rising costs as the reason suppliers are charging us more for just about everything we purchase.

But we should look into the reasons and not take them as gospel without analysis.

What actually causes costs to rise?

The first thing we are told is the age old ‘Supply and Demand’ mantra of all ‘for profit’ businesses.

The ‘market conditions’ reason is a valid one.  But it’s sadly one that can easily be manipulated and ultimately confuse most consumers.

In our current world the forces of ‘supply and demand’ have become less of a real reason and much more of an excuse as corporations gather more profit with less expenditure.

Increased worker productivity caused by the fear of being laid off has made corporations lean and mean and hungry for more.

And together with a historically high unemployment rate, at least in longevity has given the greedy CEO a vast worker pool from which to choose his next nervous slave.

And speaking of the money made as a result of that increased productivity just where did it go?

Certainly not into salaries or new hires as unemployment has not really seen lower numbers for a long time.

So the extra cash is being funneled back into the pockets of the job non-creators!

As for a perfect example of price increases due to greed let’s do a quick review about the price of oil and gas.

In January 2009 the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $1.60. Today it hovers and fluctuates in the upper $3.60 range and has been as high as $5 in some regions with oil as high as $7.50!

That would be all well and good if the industry raking in the big bucks for their environmentally polluting product was at least paying taxes on their windfall profit but they are not.

And not only do they get a pass from the IRS they receive funding from our tax dollars in the form of congressionally approved subsidies.

To do what with you might ask?

We are told they need it for research and development or R&D.

Really?

I think Rape and Destroy would fit better in that industry.

And why use tax payer dollars when you are the most profitable industry in the history of mankind?

What they are doing with our money is researching new and improved ways of blocking the implementation of clean alternative energy.  They see the alternatives as a major threat to their profit margin.

They are correct!

But as long as they continue to own Congress and fund lobbyists who wine, dine and basically bribe our so-called leaders the World will not soon get out from under the murderous thumb of big oil.

And I am not even talking about the prolific oil spill damage these uncaring corporations are wantonly causing through neglect and sweetheart lax regulations.

So the increased prices consumers must pay for fossil fuels are not caused by a struggling industry just trying to stay afloat in a sea of oil spills and red tape governmental regulations but rather the greed of a few mega-millionaires at the top who are unsatisfied with their meager take home pay.

You see after getting used to a certain level of affluence the human spirit will always want more.  It is in our nature to exceed our current standing and succeed at whatever we choose to do.

A corporation will want more profit year after year and there should be nothing wrong with that.

But the way in which they go about this search for more almighty dollars has become vulgar.

There are only a few ways to realize a higher profit margin.

A company may:

1 - Cut costs by laying off workers

2 – Or by lowering benefits (assuming there are any)

3 – Or by cheapening the product, even further than you have done already

4 – Or by increasing the selling price.

But reality soon sets in and most if not all businesses will implement all four of the above suggestions.

Success for today’s ultra conservative business people is a larger piece of every pie.  And they feel entitled to this ever since they saw the banks get bailed out for their anti-social behavior.

So in conclusion, why do costs rise?

Actually the answer is, why not?

Nyah Nyah
Keep voting Republican

Until and unless big business is forced to play by any rules there is no hope of this trend ending.

If forced to answer the question what would they admit is the reason they raise the price of everything you need?

It’s BWC baby, Because We Can and you can’t stop us!

This is greed plain and simple and the financial rape of the very people they consider to be their customers.

And the evil frustrating ever increasing wealth gap this causes is growing as we speak and threatens to take down America as we know it, or rather knew it.

We Must Fix Stupid

Does anyone remember when our government was “of the people; by the people and for the people?”

Ah the good old days!

Anyone?

Buehler?

Me neither!

We have shrunk not the size of government but rather the number of people the government helps.

And at the same time the people who are elected to govern rail against programs for the masses, which elected them, claiming that to implement any social programs would cause them to stop lowering taxes and actually raise them!

Republicans say they want government out of healthcare but they offer absolutely no alternative other than telling everyone to fend for themselves.

First do harm - Then deny?

Not only is it heartless it is quite hypocritical since they and their families have essentially the best healthcare available paid for by you and me!

A rallying cry from the right, which is invariably wrong is, “Government must not decide my healthcare. They don’t know me and I don’t want someone who doesn't know me making my healthcare decisions!”

Of course that is exactly what we have now with impersonal bean-counting accountants and actuarial nerds in non-windowed rooms deciding how cost effective it would be to allow us to have blood tests that could save our lives.

What if those tests or procedures cost too much?  Will we make back what we pay out with increased premiums? If not then we must deny the claim.

Republicans are for the people but never really state which people that might be.

After years, no decades of giving billionaires, both individuals and corporations tax breaks there is little money left to do half the things America needs to get done.

And of course those non-tax-paying corporations are considered people since the conservative filled Supreme Court handed down one of the worst decisions ever in their ‘Citizens United’ ruling.

No one likes paying higher taxes but it is the price modern societies must pay to to protect their way of life.

We all want:

• To be able to safely drive on our roads and bridges
• Have police forces that serve and protect
• Have watchdog agencies keep an eye on the food industry so the food we eat won’t harm us or worse;
• Building inspectors ensuring our workplaces are safe and secure;
• Federal agencies making certain our airlines and railways provide safe travel;
• An emergency ready agency to aid citizens in times of disaster;
• And of course our homeland must be kept reasonably safe from real foreign threats of terror.

All these things we as a modern society and arguably the greatest and wealthiest nation in the world hold as entitlements exist and can only be funded by our tax dollars.  And the right wing of our government has made it their second most important job (behind de-funding anything President Obama proposes) to see that those tax dollars come out of the pockets of only the middle class and poor!

Is it Nero or Cruz?

If this absurd path toward oligarchic rule is not altered we as a nation are headed the way of the old Roman Empire.

One wonders which TPOTTY member will take out his fiddle while that happens?
Maybe all of them will join in as the ship of state sinks into fiscal obscurity.

We must remember that the wealthy who have abdicated all responsibility when it comes to helping hundreds of millions of Americans live healthy lives as they head into their so-called golden years can pick up and move anywhere they choose on the globe.

Soon they'll be able to travel even farther. Is that a Lady Gaga concert?

Their money is safe from the IRS and will remain thus as long as the Republicans continue to bamboozle enough voters into thinking they are on their side!

But I ask those of you who keep voting against your own best interest in the hopes of joining the ranks of the idle, evil rich, do you feel lucky, huh, do you punk?

How many times must you be slapped in the face before you learn the truth?

Even Pavlov’s dogs eventually learned!

In the 5 full years since the Democrats won and re-won the White House how many job bills have been passed and sent on to the Senate by the Republican stronghold of the House of Representative?
And just who do those elite and ‘deaf to the cries of the middle class and poor’ House Republicans really represent?

Certainly not me.

And I am certain they do not represent the bulk of the people who continue to vote for them, aka their constituency!

And in those same five years how many times have they voted to overturn a law that was even upheld by THEIR Supreme Court?

FORTY SIX TIMES and counting they have tried to de-fund the Affordable Care Act!  The very same act they proposed before President Obama was in office!  And at the same time they have given no alternative other than the same old tired hypocritical words.

The rhetoric of personal responsibility rings hollow in the ears of anyone with a brain yet they stay the course.

The childish dolts of the TPOTTY even shut down the government and threatened worldwide financial disaster if they didn't get their way costing our economy an estimated $24 Billion!

It is well past time for them to have a permanent ‘time out!’

Up to now they have paid no political price for their anti-American stance.  We as a nation must not allow this to last.

Remember in November and then every November after that and keep shrinking not the size of government but rather the Republican stronghold on it and on our future until they either come back to reality or are gone the way of the Whigs.

We are in a war and unless we defeat the Republican right wing we the people, and I include them, are doomed!

AND THEY KNOW IT!

One of the phrases that always bothered me when opposites of the political stage debated was, “And as you know…”

It says to the audience that what is about to be said by the speaker is a well known fact and his opponent is quite aware of it!

It is an annoying tactic that works because the public is basically uneducated, at least in whatever the basis for the debate is, and the speaker knows it!

I have a friend who loves to provoke by always saying the opposite of what I am putting forth.  Sometimes he deliberately takes a silly stance that goes off on a tangent from what we were discussing thus deflecting the conversation completely.

He does it for fun and while it irks me I know it does neither of us any harm.

And this brings me to the current year in politics or rather last decade or so and certainly since President Obama was elected the first time.

Other than personal monetary gain from their wealthy owners harm is the only thing on the minds of the Republican Party.

They have been saying and doing such a multitude of outrageous things that it is almost impossible to recall all of them let alone write them down in this post.

And even if I could write every one of them down I doubt anyone in today’s sound bite twitter mentality would have the patience to read it or even understand it before nodding off.

The world does not need another War and Peace novel, although this would be non-fiction, and they know it!

So let’s get down to some of the most glaring bits of right wing bull cocky that they know are downright lies.

BIRTHERISM: Obama is not an American and his Presidency should be nullified.

President Obama was not only born of an American woman the birth took place in Hawaii.  Counter to popular belief among the members of the vastly under-educated T-Party Hawaii is and, at the time of the blessed event, was an American State. AND THEY KNOW IT!

GLOBAL WARMING IS A HOAX: Many Republicans in Congress have gone so far as to say that claims of global warming is the greatest hoax ever played on citizens of this country.

One must assume the Congressman, one James Inhofe (R-OK) is forgetting his own party making believe they are governing!

This one will affect every living organism, human or otherwise which possibly excludes some politicians on the right.

The scientific community has shown over and over again that the major cause of our current rise in worldwide temperatures is increased CO2 in the atmosphere and that is the result of man-made machinery and the burning of fossil fuels.  And yet almost to a man (woman) in the Republican Party they deny it.  But do they believe their own denials?  Global warming IS real! AND THEY KNOW IT!

SHARIA LAW MUST NOT BE ALLOWED IN AMERICA!

Seriously?  Are they truly worried we will adopt it here?

Religion is for personal comfort and not to be used in Government.  The so-called Party of Family Values values neither family nor really any religion! The right wing members with several wives, not all at the same time perhaps and a multitude of mistresses would rather pander to the deluded public who believe in the talking snake rather than admit there is no such thing and never has been.  AND THEY KNOW IT!

PRESIDENT OBAMA CAUSED THE DEFICIT TO RISE. Under his leadership we now owe more than ever before and we are headed for a fiscal cliff.

Uh, no, and in fact the deficit has gone down under his guidance.  And the Democratic Party has tried to do even more but has been blocked at every turn. (I apologize to all the RWNJs out there for using the word ‘fact.’ They seem to consider it a four letter word.)  Under Bush and most Republican Presidents the deficit has gone up while under most Democratic Presidents it goes down!  AND THEY KNOW IT!

VOTER FRAUD IS RAMPANT AND NEEDS TO BE STOPPED!

We cannot allow outsiders from other States to vote in our elections. Their radical ideas will harm our way of life!

In every State where Republicans hold the majority such as North Carolina voting restrictions are being placed on any group of voters shown to lean toward Democratic candidates.

Photo IDs such as gun licenses are okay but student IDs are not.  If a college student wishes to vote in NC the parents must pay a fee.  This is called a poll tax. It's absurd, unnecessary and basically against the Constitution of  the United States of America.  But the kicker is that statistics show the number of possible yet unconfirmed fraudulent attempts to vote is 0.0002 percent. AND THEY KNOW IT!

WHERE ARE THE JOBS Mr. PRESIDENT?

Unemployment, which rose so drastically while the war mongering pair of Cheney & Bush sat on the throne, has consistently gone down while President Obama has been in the White House.  And these numbers have continued their downward trend to the utter dismay of the Republicans.  The blatant opposition by the Republicans and their hypocritical leader Boehner to any jobs bill proposal is awe inspiring in it's evil intent.  AND THEY KNOW IT!

TAXES ARE KILLING BUSINESS IN AMERICA!

It's time for the takers to start contributing to the country's economy!

This absurd notion while blocking any attempt to raise the minimum wage on those who really need the money is perhaps one of the most insidious of their odious demands.  The real takers of America are the members of Congress who take a paycheck and do absolutely nothing but stir the fires of hate and promote fear while accepting bribes from the very business leaders they claim are going broke! AND THEY KNOW IT!

OBAMA KEEPS TWEAKING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT or ACA SHOWING IT IS WEAK AND NO GOOD!

This is one is actually easy, at least on the premise they put forth.  Tweaking it before full implementation is not only NOT a sign of weakness but the American way!  Every bill ever talked about or enacted into law has been tweaked including our Constitution which as I recall has a whole bunch of, what are they called again? Oh yeah, AMENDMENTS!! AND THEY KNOW IT!

Could it be they have nothing else and once again have to resort to lies?

In a word, and as always, YES!

But while calling them liars may not be nice do you think they know they are lying?

OF COURSE!

If not then they would be truly stupid and their dumb utterances would necessitate their ouster from office.  Their out and out intended lies are well thought out and are able to fool uneducated voters into electing them over and over again!

If every member of the Republican Party and right wingers were told that if caught in a political lie they’d face the death penalty we might never hear another word out of their mouths and conservative talk radio would finally be off the air for good!

And that is the main problem with politics today.

Politicians, especially on the radical right side of every aisle in the country pander and say things that are so ridiculous as to elicit dumbfounded looks from anyone with half a brain.

But so far they have faced no political consequence.

AND THAT THEY SURELY KNOW!

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

The title of this post is an oft used comeback against someone who says something you think is outrageous or at least insincere.

But many do put their money where their mouths are or at least where they silently want everyone else’s mouths to be.

I am speaking of the silent majority of political backers also known as lobbyists.

These days the more money some people have the more they want and they’ll do anything to get it.  And if it means hurting or harming a majority of others to reach their goal so be it!

The bottom line IS their bottom line and money is the way they keep score.
Today my newspaper showed three candidates running for county supervisor but a quick glance merely showed their photos and the amount of money they have collected in donations.  The subliminal message was clearly we do not need to vote because the man with the most will most likely win!  And sadly the trend of putting the worst man or woman for the job in place will most likely continue.

Of course power enters into the equation as well but without money you may find yourself powerless.

Grass roots movements are definitely not a thing of the past but certainly not as powerful as they used to be and that is by design.  And the designers are those in power and those with enough money to keep them there.

President Obama won his first election by obtaining an incredible amount of money with which he was able to get his message across.  He did this with a grass roots organization that collected enough small donations to make the total impressive even by today's standards.

You can be the smartest person in the world and have the best ideas for the most people alive but without money or backers with cash your message remains in your dreams.

The Republican Party is nothing if they are not deviously smart and they see how to keep or get power in America.

Most of the candidates on the proverbial right side of the aisle probably do not believe half the things they say or promote, at least one can hope, but they know their constituents do so they say them.

But the real problem in America today lies in the wallets of the wealthiest greedy power hungry few who spend millions like most of us spend quarters.

These quiet behind the scenes types are insidious.  They know how to dangle their bait in front of unscrupulous politicians afraid of losing a seat in Congress and thus having to actually work for a living!

Their money allows the words they wish to say to come out of their puppets mouths.

If every American of the so-called 98% group donated one dollar to the same cause it would amount to around $300,000,000!  That is approximately half the amount Sheldon Adelson threw away backing the Mittster in the 2012 Presidential campaign And he is promising to double it going forward!

Now admittedly he has only one vote and the 98%ers have around 200 million votes assuming everyone went to the polls next time so he could easily be outvoted but… (I left out those under the voting age.)

Let’s face it, there are too many among us in the country that have little knowledge of what is going on in government and many more who just don’t care.  Then there are the ones who actually believe the crap spewed by the puppets of Adelson and friends.  And his friends while not that many have wealth nearly beyond belief!

Take the Koch brother, Please!

The basically useless Koch boys inherited daddy’s business and starting from the humble amount of billions have been able to make even more billions in their effort to pollute the world. Their causes are generally bad ones for the future of mother Earth but they know they’ll be long gone before our children and grandchildren have to wear gas masks and protective clothing and move to higher ground merely to survive so they continue their quest for more money at all cost!

And they too donate and donate wildly.

One such donation was recently uncovered as David tried to block a PBS documentary entitled Citizen Koch.  An obvious reference to one of the greatest films of all time, Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane which was about a ruthless wealthy man hell bent on having his views become those of the world.  The movie was a loosely veiled shout out against Citizen Hearst and clearly not a love note.
And with the money flowing the Republican Party has turned to voter suppression as an additional way to secure a long future in power for their wealthy backers.
In other words the more their money helps their mouths speak the less they listen to yours!
Be afraid - Be VERY afraid!

So how can we stop the creeping creepy creeps who flaunt their wealth and get their way by silently pulling strings in the public sector?

Well for one when we hear a politician say something odd or espouse a cause that may not be right for the majority of Americans we can look to see from whose mouth the words are actually emanating.  Follow the money back to its source.

Then ask yourself if you would want that puppet master to run your City or State or you America.

The answer will most likely be a resounding no!

Then use your hand next November and every November from now on to put your vote where your head is!

BWC is Now The Law of the Land!

While Congress and our so-called leaders debate who caused what or who spied on whom or who can we blame for whatever we don't agree with corporations are continuing to rape American consumer any way they see fit!  And while this goes on the charade that is the Republican Majority in the House of Congress will once again try to repeal the health care bill aimed at helping the average citizen!
A perfect example came today in my cell phone bill from AT&T which included a slight increase, as always!
I decided to have an on-line chat with an AT&T agent about this latest slap at a long time moron, I mean customer.
What appears below is that chat.  Please read it and see if it rings true with your experience dealing with impersonal corporations these days.

Thank you for your patience!

Your AT&T Representative will be with you shortly.

Welcome! You are now chatting with 'I removed the name lest the person be fired for possible honesty' 

BRUCE M RESCH: Hi AT&T Person

AT&T Person: Hi Bruce, I can help you with the charges on your account.

BRUCE M RESCH: My bill has been $197.82 for ages and while it's way too high for the actual service provided at least it was a constant.  Now the bill is over $200 and it looks as though the rise was merely a BWC increase.  Is that true?

AT&T Person: I can have that check for you. Let me review your bill.

BRUCE M RESCH: ok

AT&T Person: Please give me 2-3 minutes to run through your bill.

BRUCE M RESCH: sure

AT&T Person: Thank you for waiting.  Upon reviewing your account, I found out that your monthly bill is always $197.99.

AT&T Person: The reason why your bill went up to $200.70 is because of the additional fee that was being charged to each of your line.

BRUCE M RESCH: An additional fee for what may I ask?

AT&T Person: If you will take a look on your bill, each line has a corresponding surcharges and other fees.

BRUCE M RESCH: yes I see that

AT&T Person: The additional fee that was added on each line was the Administrative fee which costs $0.61.

BRUCE M RESCH: So I was right, It's a BWC

AT&T Person: What is BWC?

BRUCE M RESCH: BWC stands for "Because We Can!" It's a fee charged by all large impersonal anti-human corporations to make even more money for doing nothing and causing those of us who must go along with their greed to suffer. In other words, bullshit!

AT&T Person: I understand you. But the the Administrative fee covers a small portion of certain expenses AT&T incurs, including but not limited to: Charges AT&T or its agents pay to interconnect with other carriers to deliver calls from AT&T customer to their customers Costs and charges associated with cell site rents and maintenance

BRUCE M RESCH: Did you actually type that with a straight face? Forget it - I cannot beat you guys. But when I decide to leave because your inane unfair extra fees are too much you will NEVER get me back no matter what you do.

BRUCE M RESCH: It's truly a crock of shit! The small increase of which you speak in AT&T costs could easily be covered by the unbelievably high rate you charge for nothing! I am speaking of texts etc. which cost you zero! In fact you had to invent a way to keep track of texts just so you could charge for them! But as I said I can not win & I realize it is not you personally who is at fault so I'm done here - Have a nice life.

AT&T Person: I understand where you're coming from. That's the initial reaction of most of our customers when they learned about this fee.

BRUCE M RESCH: I wonder why!

BRUCE M RESCH: Most Americans have not gotten a raise in years but AT&T & others like you continue to raise fees and make more profits and hand over our hard earned money to a bunch of useless shits at the top of the corporation who think only of how to make even more money on the backs of the customer. As I said - This is not personal but THEY are criminals!

AT&T Person: I understand you. We all work hard to earn money and who does like to have their money wasted? No one. I understand how you feel.
BRUCE M RESCH: enjoy the weekend - I'm out of here - Have to think about this situation further. Thanks

Note the line about having to pay increased costs due to connecting with other carriers.  Of course those carriers are using that same bull shit line to collect their own BWCs.

The collusion is on all sides of the equation and the only ones being hurt are the customers!

If anyone cares to add all the bills they pay and track the changes in each of them since we handed control of the country over to the large corporations who now own Congress I believe they will notice the same trend toward new BWCs.

Can we stem the tide of corporate greed?

Can we get Congress on the side of the people who actually vote them into office?

Can we make it through a month without House Republicans attempting to repeal the ACA aka Obamacare?

Sadly I feel the answer is a definitive NO WAY!

But still I rant and still I complain and at least in a small way I am a thorn in the side of corporate hypocrisy.

Never turn your back on these criminals and do not let them get away with what they do without at least complaining.  Who knows, maybe one day the meek really will inherit the Earth.

And by the way, when we do I'm going to hit all the bastards of the former corporate world with so many BWCs they heads'll fall off!