29 September, 2008
Quote of the Day
From this AP story (bold mine):
"How could this have happened? Is there such a disconnect on Capitol Hill? This becomes a problem because Wall Street is very uncomfortable with uncertainty," said Gordon Charlop, managing director with Rosenblatt Securities. "The bailout not going through sends a signal that Congress isn't willing to do their part."
Wha-wha-WHAT? Look, pumpkin, you and your lot are gamblers. The finance industry took a HUGE gamble on very shaky mortgages and guess what? Y'all lost! Big! Do you really expect the American people to believe, for even a nanosecond, that, had your gamble continued to pay off, that money would be put to the good of the American people? Because the last time I checked, the banking and finance industry were lobbying congress pretty hard to make it damn-near impossible for the average American to file for bankruptcy and you've fought regulation tooth and nail (both endeavors costing, no doubt, millions of dollars). Bank charges for the average customer are outrageously exorbitant and financial institutions are allowed to play shell games with people's money so that they incur hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars in bank charges--and they've done that with impunity. And yet, you damn consumers as "irresponsible".
I'll agree with you that there is--and has been--a disconnect on Capitol Hill, but only in that the Representatives have consistently failed the very people who voted to put them in office in favor of industry lobbyists who shower Congressional Representatives with gifts for doing their bidding. Every time the opportunity to help Americans in financial difficulty has arisen, the banking and finance industry rebelled and insisted that the free market is the only solution to the problem. "Those people were irresponsible enough with their money that they're in financial trouble: Let 'em twist in the wind," y'all said. "They should have known better."
But now...NOW you've decided that socialism is a Good Thing? You've Free Marketed yourselves into a deep, deep hole and now you want me and my fellow Americans--too many of whom have to decide between paying the mortgage/rent or buying food or gas or paying the electric bill--to bail your stupid, irresponsible, overpaid asses out?
Oh HELL no!
(p.s. I'd like to give props to my Representative, Pete Stark, who voted No on the bail out. When the Revolution comes, he'll be spared.)
Labels: in the news, ITMFA, JesusBloodyChrist, politics, ranting
~~ victoria on 2:22 PM ~~ 0 comments
========================================
23 September, 2008
Trick or...Well, I Think It's Just Trick For Us
Alternate title: "I <3 Rachel Maddow!"
Labels: in the news, ITMFA
~~ victoria on 8:31 PM ~~ 0 comments
========================================
In Case You Weren't Quite Sure
We live in a fascist police state. (Article quoted text in italics.)
Oh hang on, it gets BETTER:
So don't even think of coming into the United States and expecting your civil liberties to come through customs unscathed if you look anything OTHER than a White Christian or if you've traveled to a country full of ZOMG!!!1!@!! Brown Heathens!
These sweet little fascist policies were first enacted by (big surprise!) the Reagan administration in 1986 after US citizens complained of being subjected to search and seizure when they returned from Nicaragua. Yet even the original Reagan-era policies (and the revised version from the Clinton administration in 2000) required customs agents to have reasonable grounds for suspicion before seizing and reviewing documents.
You know, I like to try to be helpful whenever I can. So if US Customs (and, by extension, the Bush regime) didn't get the earlier memo (or it got misfiled) and they really want to probe MY thoughts, this one's for them:
Labels: in the news, ITMFA, JesusBloodyChrist, politics
~~ victoria on 8:24 PM ~~ 0 comments
========================================
22 September, 2008
Tough AND Conditional Love
You know, there is the ever-so-slight chance that I might possibly consider going along with the $700 billion bailout (I refuse to call it a "rescue") of the financial industry with these conditions (just for a start; I'm sure I'll have more):
* That there is SOME oversight over how this bailout money is allocated (let's call this "No, Mr. CEO, You Do Not Get Rewarded With A Blank Check For Fucking Up");
* To help pay for this bailout, the executives of these financial institutions who got rich off of the subprime mortgage scams must get taxed at a rate of 90% on their salaries, bonuses and any stock they sold for a profit while their institutions traded in these subprime mortgages (let's call this "You Sailed The Ship Into The Storm, Now Buy Your Own Damn Pail");
* If these executives don't have the money to pay their taxes on their ill-gotten booty, they get to spend a year in prison for every million dollars they personally profited from trading in subprime mortgages. (let's call this "Actions Have Consequences, Bitchez");
* Two words: Credit Counseling. These financial institutions don't get one goddamned dime until they go through credit counseling. (While we're at it, we don't release a stinkin' penny until everyone in this administration AND in congress goes through credit counseling, too.) Let's make it as difficult for them to be released from their debts as they've made it for consumers. (We can call this one "Walk A Mile In My Shoes Then Give Them Back Because I Have To Sell Them So I Can Buy Groceries This Week".)
Like I said, this is only the beginning of my list of things I need to see in that three-page "plan" before I will even think of supporting a bailout of the financial industry. A lot of tequila might loosen me up a bit on this, too.
What's on your list?
Labels: ITMFA, JesusBloodyChrist, personal responsibility, politics, ranting
~~ victoria on 8:29 PM ~~ 0 comments
========================================
05 September, 2007
Olbermann Knocks It Out of the Park Again
There's nothing I can add to this, really.
h/t to Shakesville, where you can find a like to the transcript and a great post on the same subject from William K. Wolfrum.
~~ victoria on 7:20 AM ~~ 0 comments
========================================
19 July, 2007
King George: All Your Asset Belong To Us
King George has issued a new Executive Order that makes my blood run cold.
Nightshift, over at Shakesville writes a superb analysis of this chilling order, cutting through the legalese:
-----
Under this order, the Executive Branch can ’starve out’ a person by completely freezing their assets, without trial, without the need to present evidence, and without appeal. The Treasury Secretary has sole discretion to determine who is in violation of this order, in ‘consultation’ with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State. That last part is verbiage; Treasury has the power per this order. Even better, the Secretary of Treasury has the explicit authority to delegate this decision to any flunky or flunkies of his choice per Sec. 6. This order applies to all persons within the United States. If Treasury declares that a person is a ‘SIGNIFICANT RISK’ to commit violence in Iraq, or a ‘SIGNIFICANT RISK’ to support violence in Iraq in any way, or to have assisted in any way a person who is a ‘SIGNIFICANT RISK’ to do so, all their assets are to be immediately frozen.
It is a further violation of the order to make a donation to such a person whose assets have been frozen. (I was being literal when I said ’starve’ them. Such a person would have no legal means of acquiring food, clothing, or shelter. They couldn’t buy it with frozen assets, nor accept it as a gift, and stealing is already illegal.) [See here for the statute on which Bush relies to issue this order.]
-----
I recommend you go read Nightshift's post and the comment thread, unless you're already nearly suicidally-depressed by this clusterfuck of a government (this might set you right over the edge).
Let me emphasize a very important point here: THERE IS NO DUE PROCESS! Let's say King George or one of his court declares CodePink, by virtue of opposing the war on Iraq, threatens "the peace and stability of Iraq". All of CodePink's assets can be frozen, but it doesn't stop there. King George and the US Treasury can also freeze the assets of Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink. King George and the US Treasury can go through the list of donors and freeze their assets. Let's say a friend of mine has donated to CodePink and has had his or her assets frozen and has lost his/her home and cannot buy anything to eat. I could have MY assets frozen if I gave them food or a gift card to a clothing store. Let me repeat: THERE IS NO DUE PROCESS! King George does NOT have to present evidence that CodePink (or I) are actually committing any acts that undermine the peace and stability of Iraq.
It occurs to me that, if King George and his court are able to access these frozen assets, it's a hell of a scam to continue to fund their war machine.
(UPDATE: Nightshift, in the comments thread at Shakesville, says that in theory, they cannot access the frozen assets to fund their war machine or anything else. But in reality, I don't put anything past these criminals.)
Confidential to Congress: Impeach. Them. NOW!
Labels: ITMFA, JesusBloodyChrist
~~ victoria on 8:02 PM ~~ 0 comments
========================================
19 November, 2006
This. Is. Fucking. BRILLIANT!
I'm late to the table with this one as it came out before the election. But I'd love to see an update to this video in 2008!
(p.s. it would seem that YouTube doesn't work with Blogger Beta, either--despite having updated the account settings everywhere. Feh!)
Labels: ITMFA
~~ victoria on 9:09 AM ~~ 0 comments
========================================
