Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

SINCE PRESIDENT OBAMA'S INAUGURATION:

UPDATE BELOW

The Dow Jones has increased more than 50% -- from 8,000 to more than 12,000;

The wealthiest received a massive tax cut;

The top marginal tax rate was three times less than during the Eisenhower years and substantially lower than during the Reagan years;

Income and wealth inequality are so vast and rising that it is easily at Third World levels;

Meanwhile, "the share of U.S. taxes paid by corporations has fallen from 30 percent of federal revenue in the 1950s to 6.6 percent in 2009."

Some Anti-Business Marxist, Socialist, Communist, Kenyan, eh?


Glenn Greenwald demolishes the self-pitying lies of the billionaire Koch Brothers who claim that President Obama is  "...the most radical president we’ve ever had as a nation...and has done more damage to the free enterprise system and long-term prosperity than any president we’ve ever had." 

They go on to say:  "He's a dedicated egalitarian...I'm not saying he's a Marxist, but he's internalized some Marxist models -- that is, that business tends to be successful by exploiting its customers and workers."

Really? 

Greewald then goes on to, y'know, use ACTUAL FACTS to destroy the lying Koch Brothers' self-serving, factless propaganda:


"Despite high unemployment and a largely languishing real estate market, U.S. businesses are more profitable than ever, according to federal figures released on Friday.



U.S. corporate profits hit an all-time high at the end of 2010, with financial firms showing some of the biggest gains, data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis show. Corporations reported an annualized $1.68 trillion in profit in the fourth quarter. The previous record, without being adjusted for inflation, was $1.65 trillion in the third quarter of 2006.


Many of the nation's preeminent companies have posted massive increases in profits this year. General Electric posted worldwide profits of $14.2 billion, while profits at JPMorgan Chase were up 47 percent to $4.8 billion."
GREENWALD CONCLUDES:"Whether one finds this state of affairs desirable or not, no rational person can describe them as the by-product of a Marxist, business-hating egalitarian. Quite the opposite. The political power of America's richest has never been greater, and the level of their responsibility and collective burden has never been less. Meanwhile, for ordinary Americans, the remaining remnants of their financial security and middle class comforts rapidly erodes. It's true that the U.S. Government has little regard for the free market: they intervene constantly in the free market on behalf of the nation's wealthiest and most powerful business interests; it's crony capitalism, corporatism: government run by corporations (or, as Dick Durbin said of the Congress in which he serves: "the banks own the place").


For billionaires to see themselves as the True Victims, to complain that the President and the Government are waging some sort of war against them in the name of radical egalitarianism, is so removed from reality -- universes away -- that's it's hard to put into words. And the fiscal recklessness that the Kochs and their comrades tirelessly point to was a direct by-product of the last decade's rule by the Republican Party which they fund..."


These data, of course, will not penetrate the cemented minds of the malcontented conservatives who continue to claim Mr. Obama is a Marxist, Socialist who is ruining America. 

But facts are stubborn things, and the facts are that Mr. Obama is no such person.  However, the Koch Brothers, in their funding of malignant organizations that spread lies and propaganda contrary to actual facts, are finding success with people who eagerly eat up "false facts" and who wouldn't know what truth was, even if it sat on their

mouth-breathing faces.

Links to all of the data are on Greenwald's blog.

UPDATE:

REPORT: Fox Linked Obama To Socialism At Least 35 Times In Run-Up To Election


March 29, 2011, by Rob Savillo

"During the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election, Bill Sammon used his position as a top Fox News editor to engage in a campaign to link Barack Obama to "Marxists" and "socialism." Today, Media Matters revealed that Sammon subsequently acknowledged that he had "privately" believed that the socialism allegation was "rather far-fetched."


Sammon's effort to push the bogus socialism charge included an October 27, 2008, email he sent to Fox journalists highlighting what he described as "Obama's references to socialism, liberalism, Marxism and Marxists" in his 1995 autobiography Dreams From My Father.


In the nine days between Sammon's October 27 email and the November 4 election, Fox employees linked Obama to socialism, Marxism, or Communism at least 35 times on air. In some cases, Fox employees directly said or suggested that Obama was linked to socialism; in other cases, they gratuitously mentioned accusations made by "Joe the Plumber" or others."

The lemonheads who watch FAUX NOOZ for information heard the propagandist "news" readers repeat what Sammon told them to say, and then they scampered to their blogs and dutifully pasted the FAUX NOOZ lies--and felt patriotic about it.  Not once did any of these malcontented lackeys bother to check the veracity of what the FAUX NOOZ talking heads said.  Like good little lemmings, they just lathered, rinsed, and repeated.

20 comments:

Jerry Critter said...

A 50% increase in the Dow Jones in the two years Obama has been president is not the action of an anti-business chief executive.

Unfortunately, business has not been doing their part. They have hoarded their money rather than putting it back into the economy in the form of jobs.

Infidel753 said...

Yeah, but he's a socialist Commie Nazi Muslim Kenyan, and a wise Latina woman too! It says so right here on my sign where every one of those words is spelled wrong!

Despite high unemployment and a largely languishing real estate market, U.S. businesses are more profitable than ever,

But they're not hiring. Bugger them. Jack up their taxes and use the money to hire people for infrastructure-upgrade projects. The work needs to be done. Seven blocks from where I live, there's a bridge which is so old it's positively dangerous, and there are situations like that all over the country.

And the fiscal recklessness that the Kochs and their comrades tirelessly point to was a direct by-product of the last decade's rule by the Republican Party which they fund...

They won't be happy until they've turned us into a Third World country. Unfortunately for them, before that point, there'll be a mass rejection of their ideas. Wisconsin is only the beginning.

Shaw Kenawe said...

This may be a tad paranoid, but I believe that the corporations are not hiring because that would help the unemployment rate drop and that's a good thing for Obama.

We already heard from the turtle's mouth that the goal of the GOP is to make Mr. Obama a one-term president.

Wouldn't the GOP want to act in concert with corporations to make that come true?

Jerry Critter said...

The people who run corporations are paid, in large part, based on the performance of the company. That performance is measured in terms of profit and stock price.

Profits and price are up. Why should they hire?

I agree with Infidel. Let's tax their profits and put people to work.

Anonymous said...

Won't be spending much of my time here -- because no one is going to listen to anything remotely near the center.

In case you plan to hit anyone with that clenched fist you so happily display, I'd suggest you move your thumb to the side. Otherwise, you'd be likely to break it.

As for corporations funding and thus owning the Republican Party, there's certainly plenty of truth in that. However, it's for dang sure* obama, his minions, and the Democrat Party are owned by unions.

* Don Taylor as Standiferd, in William Wellman's Battleground (1949): "That's for sure. That's for dang sure."

Jerry Critter said...

Let's assume you are right and "obama, his minions, and the Democrat (by the way, it is the Democratic) Party are owned by unions".

So what?

The unions represent a small percentage of the population and have very little money compared to the corporations.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Teacher, cops, firemen, nurses, etc. belong to unions. Oh, those greedy, wealthy, yacht-owning basterds!

Anon, I don't know what planet you live on, but I don't think it's this one.

PS. The title of my blog is PROGRESSIVE Eruptions.

I am up front with what my political leanings are, so I don't understand your comment.

What you think is centrist appears to me to be rightist.

That fist represents the working people of Wisconsin, and they have adopted it to counter the anti-union policies just enacted by Gov. Walker.

I support the teachers, cops, firemen, nurses and all the other working folks in Wisconsin.

If that means that's too leftist for you or anyone, so be it.

Sue said...

Its the truth Shaw, the corporations are not hiring because unemployment numbers will drop and benefit Obama for 2012. "We don't feel the economy has improved enough to risk our billions on hiring the little folk" WTF??? What are these rich ass hoarders think they are doing and why isn't our President and Congress showing them who is boss?? Enough already!

And to anon crying in his milk about unions support for democrats, give a me a F'in break! Stand UP Democrats, this is your chance to beat back the evil Republiscums!

Murr Brewster said...

Oh, if only he were what they accuse him of!

Odd, too, that the notion that the rest of the world esteems Obama will be seen as a weakness of his.

K. said...

I want a bumper sticker that says "Dedicated Egalitarian".

Les Carpenter said...

What is the dollar level of our unfunded liabilities? Anybody know?

I not saying that is Obama's fault cause it ain't.

But it is time to be concerned with it as well as the budget deficits.

We either stop spending like the drunken sailors we've become {Bush and Obama are the kings) or else we raise more revenues. It's that simple.

Then we can talk about how great the economy is or isn't. There is no doubt that we cannot sustain the path we have been on for the past 30 years.

If we continue we won't have much of an economy to talk about.

$100.00 in $150.00 out = -$50.00. No matter how you cut it. And that's a snap shot of how we do business in America.

Sooner or later it will catch up to us. There are nations already dealing with it.

To get this nation stabilized will require a combination of budget cuts, and as much as I hate to say it, increased revenue streams. IE: taxes.

That and a simplified tax code, elimination of subsidies {corporate welfare} to businesses, and a dramatically altered regulatory behemoth that is really hurting private sector business.

Serious problems yes. Bush really hurt this nation economically. Obama continues. And as long as Americans view anyone with opposing views, be they republican or democrats, as scums, rather than fellow Americans desiring positive change the cycle will continue to perpetuate itself.

Call it the self fulfilling prophesy if you will.

Shaw Kenawe said...

We have to cut billion-dollar defense spending--fighter jets, for example--that have never been used in combat--and RAISE TAXES.

The taxes are at the same level now that they were during Eisenhower's administration.

And get the giant corporations to act like responsible citizens--afterall, the SCOTUS says they're PEOPLE! and begin paying their fair share of taxes.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Here's the link for the billion dollar spending on a never-used fighter jet.

Jerry Critter said...

"Bush really hurt this nation economically. Obama continues."

Yes, because he has caved to republican obstructionism in order to get anything done. We would be in much better financial shape if the republicans did not hold so much power.

Anonymous said...

Well, I would understand all the ranting about spending IF we were in fact out of revenue options.

The reality is that by focussing exclusively on spending we lose sight of the fact that government spending adds to our GDP.

What would our GDP be if poor people and the elderly did not have entitlements? What would our GDP be if the government did not spend on education, medicare, and medicad.

Or infrastructure.

Those lazy welfare queens who live on government largesse spend money in stores and in turn add to some companies' profit.

Even ol' Rand Paul and Michelle Bachmann's husband derive over 50% of their income from medicad/medicare....I am also sure that Rand Paul, Michelle Bachmann, and her husband enjoyed the opportunity of attending college on government loans and grants...

I thinks it time we tie corporate taxes to rises in the GDP and tie taxes on capital gains to rises in the stock market.

Its time to quit rewarding "supply" and rather begin rewarding "demand" which creates the wealth that folks like the Koch Brothers enjoy!

Advertisers wouldn't pay big bucks to Fox News if those ads did not entice consumers to go out and buy stuff...and without those big bucks OReilly, Hannity, and Beck along with the behind the scene stable of right wing presidential hopeful that Fox News maintains during the off season would all be out jobs...

Les Carpenter said...

@ TAO... You said:

"Those lazy welfare queens who live on government largesse spend money in stores and in turn add to some companies' profit."

Damn, how stupid have we all been!

Think I'll quit my job {or get fired} go on the government largess, add to the economy, and create profits all at the same time. And feel good about "contributing" to the GDP.

While the above is sarcasm there is some truth, or perhaps a warning in it all.

kid said...

@Shaw Kenawe

You are not paranoid, you are stating the obvious. They're not hiring to make him look bad. Now how long can they sit on the sides and not hire or invest in their own businesses? If they don't hire people we might need Marxism and Socialism to save this country and it can all be credited to the Koch family.

Anonymous said...

Fine with me Les....

If I own a company that enjoys a net profit margin of 14 to 20% and I find myself not paying taxes then the government giving you money to spend is a real gift to me isn't it?

Its not like the government is using MY money to create sales and profits for MY company is it?


You and your buddies claim to be so ideologically pure then why don't you all do what your intellectual goddess demanded of you?

Go, and drop out of society and set up a John Galt commune in Idaho....punish the rest of us by taking the Koch Brothers with you!

Les Carpenter said...

@ TAO... You said:

"You and your buddies claim to be so ideologically pure then why don't you all do what your intellectual goddess demanded of you?

Go, and drop out of society and set up a John Galt commune in Idaho....punish the rest of us by taking the Koch Brothers with you!"

Trite, indeed trite. But thanks for the reply anyway.

dmarks said...

"The wealthiest received a massive tax cut"

Is this a misleading way to refer to the Bush tax cut extensions... which were for all taxpayers (mostly middle class), or referring to something else?

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Shaw conjectured: "This may be a tad paranoid, but I believe that the corporations are not hiring because that would help the unemployment rate drop and that's a good thing for Obama."

American businesses are famously short-sighted, and typically look ahead by weeks. Not plotting years ahead like this, especially in something so dubious it might backfire. Besides, such a conspiracy would have to include a zillion small businesses, which even more than big business don't have time for such plots. They jut want to stay afloat for the next few days.

Any HR, hiring manager, etc in any company who rigged hiring practices to some dubious Presidential election ploy would probably be fired for not doing their job.