Madison wasn’t talking about an abstraction or some highfalutin concept. He was talking about how some rich people will inevitably try to seize political power to screw everybody else.
Trump's cult is giving the capitalist all of our wealth. And neither party is fighting back because they're trying to get a piece of the pie. In other words, the rich are stealing everything from us.
Trump's cult, owns a lot of guns and they are mental midgets. The US military and with modern technology, will have their leaders all rounded up by noon on any given day they want to. Then everyone else who isn't a billionaire or millionaire, will be working 16 hours a day and probably living in the car. If they object, they could be disappeared or sent off to some foreign war.
Remember to thank your maga neighbor for your third world economy, so the mega rich can have more power, fame and money.
Just like in Groundhog Days past, we are still subject to the tyranny of those who wield the powers of corporate personhood (i.e., money is speech and corporations are people). Those powers are why our democracy is devolving into autocracy. If we assume that there is a proven strategy to nullify those powers (and there is), and we know how to make that happen (and we do), why aren’t we?
A significant faction of the Supreme Court who are supposed to support the Constitution, are beneficiaries of big money directives to delete the Constitutional advice of Madison. One might say that money is exactly what is corrupting our Society .
Because it has been steered to the rich and powerful in this Country.
Expressly opposed by our Constitution .
I am amazed at what passes for the law right now.
These proponents of wealth w severe inequality as a result are people who are held up as successful but are cutting the throats of the poor.
How interesting that they are trying to save the poor from any assistance at all . The assistance goes to the least needy . Who keep it that way .
If is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a Republican oligarch to act like a mensch.
What will Murkowski or for that matter the "pious" Lankford or the self-righteous Hawley say?
Democrats control the Senate. Could negotiate to extend the child tax credit -- E.G. https://www.whitehouse.gov/child-tax-credit/ The Senate can pass additional budget reconciliation bills by describing them as a revised budget resolution that contains budget reconciliation instructions.
I would add giving Biden authority to sue price fixers and price gougers.
Seems we all become diverted from aiming at the major legislation that has made us more subservient to wealthy interests. That being Citizens United. It appears that the precept of critical thinking "Consider the source." has not been taught either by parents or school teachers. I hear that there is little to zero Civics or what was called Social Studies.
We need to keep in mind that there are many of us who have nothing and no-one else to help us other than our government. Your birth certificate is the one deed you are given. My heart does bleed for those who either never have had anyone or lose all family and are alone.
I agree with Hartmann that oligarchs for the past 7000 years don't allow a democratic society to work for the common good. Our society is not different. We may have already lost our democracy.
But I disagree that Madison was warning that the morbidly wealthy was the faction to worry about. The Federalists papers were written to be published in a New York newspaper to convince the wealthy to not be afraid of the new constitution, and to go along with the ratification because their wealth would be protected. I believe Madison meant factions in general, including a faction that would potentially choose to heavily tax the rich.
The book, "We the Elites: Why the U.S. Constitution Serves the Few" by Robert Ovetz, 2022. Ovetz explains how 55 rich white men (signed by only 39 of them) wrote the Constitution to be a rule book "empowering elites to protect capitalism from democracy."
The "system works as it was designed to." The first problem was that Hamilton modeled the National Bank after the bank of England, which Jefferson was very opposed to and said it was unconstitutional. He said in part, the bank "which might be for the good of the Union, would render all the preceding and subsequent enumerations of power completely useless. It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and, as they would be the sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please."
Andrew Jackson opposed the bank and stopped the renewal of the charter, temporarily. Lincoln opposed taking on debt that the taxpayers had to pay back with interest and the union printed the greenbacks. Why are we still borrowing money from private banks? Because the oligarchs want the parasite class to continue, and they always figure out a way to get away with it, usually by manipulating foreign affairs and starting wars.
It's almost impossible for the government to pass legislation for the common good because of the "checks and balances." FDR saved capitalism because it was in the best interests of the capitalists in the long run.
Anyone who has seen the castles, manor houses, and villas of Europe would understand why Madison referenced European systems. Hard to heat those things, but they were terrific if you wanted extra rooms where you could hide from your family.
We're so there! We were there before the Civil War, and it didn't stop right through the Robber Barons. Along came the crash that took care of some of that. After WWII there was a chance for people to break through to the middle class and have a union. But, Reagan and corporate America couldn't have that. So then comes the wage suppression, massive tax cuts for them, outsourcing, the War on Drugs, and turning the mentally ill out to live on the streets. Welcome to toxic America.
Enough already Romney---everyone should be able to afford housing, transportation, and food. He can take his raiding, rich, condescending ass back to one of his homes while the rest of us do all the work and try to figure out the best way to put people like him out of business.
Thom: Here's an idea for someone, maybe you. Print up funny money coupons that are worth millions in their virtual values and distribute them to poor people to send into millionaire politicians. Put serial nos. on them to make them registerable so that the amount contributed by poor people to the Grassleys and Romneys can be reported widely. I haven't worked out the details yet. The point would be to shame the legislators but the fly in the ointment is that they probably are not capable of feeling shame. Just an idea.
I've never read any explanation of why we aren't even suggesting more than a 2% tax on the morbidity rich -- and even begging for that puny amount...???
The rich invest in blindness that wealth inflicts upon society that the Bible tells us it causes. You cannot have just judges with bribery anymore than you can have a just society with it. The people are against the rot of corruption but they need a basis to believe the representatives are on the side of justice by a promise of campaign economic issues for those low information Dem base to know that the effort is real. That requires a united voice that is heard and visual daily. The low information Dem voter base is not convinced of the real threat of the loss of democracy. They only believe in concrete action otherwise they will not bother to vote as the lack of economic issues in 2022 made them not bother,
Everyone's opinion can change, but Romney had his own child tax credit "plan" within the last few years. He is just upset that he couldn't get enough support for his "plan".
Madison also warned about political parties, the danger being that loyalty to party would replace civic virtue. Almost makes me want reincarnation to be real. We could use another James Madison right now.
Micro-level examples of America's Plantation Economy:
a. Hispanics ordered back to America's meat-packing factories by Drumpf himself; this when people were dropping like flies at the outset of C19. (n.b. on-site White mgt est'd a pool, wagering on who'd drop dead first this week. (True.))
b. These days, Executives (e.g.: Jamie Diamond and his ilk,) ordering hybrid and remote workers back downtown into still semi-vacant office bldgs, for no good reason, just to have managements' egos stroked.
I have seen more positive reaction to my statement, comment of Feb. 2 than about any other I have posted anywhere. The feedback helps me believe in what I think. I have been fortunate to have lived up and down the East Coast in Chicago and have had an extended visit to Redway California. It was in NYC that I met a woman who was selling her brother's tools. He had died and he had been her last living relative. It hit me hard. He had died of AIDS. However he got the disease doesn't matter. It is clear that all the chemicals in our environment cause cancer. So we can find those responsible. No one can be replaced. Conformists aren't even conformists. As long as we live we have something to give to others. Anyway, thanks for all the response. Thanks to Mr. Hartmann.
Trump's cult is giving the capitalist all of our wealth. And neither party is fighting back because they're trying to get a piece of the pie. In other words, the rich are stealing everything from us.
Trump's cult, owns a lot of guns and they are mental midgets. The US military and with modern technology, will have their leaders all rounded up by noon on any given day they want to. Then everyone else who isn't a billionaire or millionaire, will be working 16 hours a day and probably living in the car. If they object, they could be disappeared or sent off to some foreign war.
Remember to thank your maga neighbor for your third world economy, so the mega rich can have more power, fame and money.
Just like in Groundhog Days past, we are still subject to the tyranny of those who wield the powers of corporate personhood (i.e., money is speech and corporations are people). Those powers are why our democracy is devolving into autocracy. If we assume that there is a proven strategy to nullify those powers (and there is), and we know how to make that happen (and we do), why aren’t we?
A significant faction of the Supreme Court who are supposed to support the Constitution, are beneficiaries of big money directives to delete the Constitutional advice of Madison. One might say that money is exactly what is corrupting our Society .
Because it has been steered to the rich and powerful in this Country.
Expressly opposed by our Constitution .
I am amazed at what passes for the law right now.
These proponents of wealth w severe inequality as a result are people who are held up as successful but are cutting the throats of the poor.
How interesting that they are trying to save the poor from any assistance at all . The assistance goes to the least needy . Who keep it that way .
If is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a Republican oligarch to act like a mensch.
What will Murkowski or for that matter the "pious" Lankford or the self-righteous Hawley say?
Democrats control the Senate. Could negotiate to extend the child tax credit -- E.G. https://www.whitehouse.gov/child-tax-credit/ The Senate can pass additional budget reconciliation bills by describing them as a revised budget resolution that contains budget reconciliation instructions.
I would add giving Biden authority to sue price fixers and price gougers.
The way it could work is if the House and Senate bills were not congruent, it could go thorough "reconciliation." Budget reconciliation is a special parliamentary procedure set up to expedite the passage of certain federal budget legislation in the Senate. The procedure overrides the Senate's filibuster rules, which may otherwise require a 60-vote supermajority for passage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_(United_States_Congress)#:~:text=Budget%20reconciliation%20is%20a%20special,60%2Dvote%20supermajority%20for%20passage.
Seems we all become diverted from aiming at the major legislation that has made us more subservient to wealthy interests. That being Citizens United. It appears that the precept of critical thinking "Consider the source." has not been taught either by parents or school teachers. I hear that there is little to zero Civics or what was called Social Studies.
We need to keep in mind that there are many of us who have nothing and no-one else to help us other than our government. Your birth certificate is the one deed you are given. My heart does bleed for those who either never have had anyone or lose all family and are alone.
I agree with Hartmann that oligarchs for the past 7000 years don't allow a democratic society to work for the common good. Our society is not different. We may have already lost our democracy.
But I disagree that Madison was warning that the morbidly wealthy was the faction to worry about. The Federalists papers were written to be published in a New York newspaper to convince the wealthy to not be afraid of the new constitution, and to go along with the ratification because their wealth would be protected. I believe Madison meant factions in general, including a faction that would potentially choose to heavily tax the rich.
The book, "We the Elites: Why the U.S. Constitution Serves the Few" by Robert Ovetz, 2022. Ovetz explains how 55 rich white men (signed by only 39 of them) wrote the Constitution to be a rule book "empowering elites to protect capitalism from democracy."
The "system works as it was designed to." The first problem was that Hamilton modeled the National Bank after the bank of England, which Jefferson was very opposed to and said it was unconstitutional. He said in part, the bank "which might be for the good of the Union, would render all the preceding and subsequent enumerations of power completely useless. It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and, as they would be the sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please."
Andrew Jackson opposed the bank and stopped the renewal of the charter, temporarily. Lincoln opposed taking on debt that the taxpayers had to pay back with interest and the union printed the greenbacks. Why are we still borrowing money from private banks? Because the oligarchs want the parasite class to continue, and they always figure out a way to get away with it, usually by manipulating foreign affairs and starting wars.
It's almost impossible for the government to pass legislation for the common good because of the "checks and balances." FDR saved capitalism because it was in the best interests of the capitalists in the long run.
Anyone who has seen the castles, manor houses, and villas of Europe would understand why Madison referenced European systems. Hard to heat those things, but they were terrific if you wanted extra rooms where you could hide from your family.
We're so there! We were there before the Civil War, and it didn't stop right through the Robber Barons. Along came the crash that took care of some of that. After WWII there was a chance for people to break through to the middle class and have a union. But, Reagan and corporate America couldn't have that. So then comes the wage suppression, massive tax cuts for them, outsourcing, the War on Drugs, and turning the mentally ill out to live on the streets. Welcome to toxic America.
Enough already Romney---everyone should be able to afford housing, transportation, and food. He can take his raiding, rich, condescending ass back to one of his homes while the rest of us do all the work and try to figure out the best way to put people like him out of business.
Thom: Here's an idea for someone, maybe you. Print up funny money coupons that are worth millions in their virtual values and distribute them to poor people to send into millionaire politicians. Put serial nos. on them to make them registerable so that the amount contributed by poor people to the Grassleys and Romneys can be reported widely. I haven't worked out the details yet. The point would be to shame the legislators but the fly in the ointment is that they probably are not capable of feeling shame. Just an idea.
I've never read any explanation of why we aren't even suggesting more than a 2% tax on the morbidity rich -- and even begging for that puny amount...???
The rich invest in blindness that wealth inflicts upon society that the Bible tells us it causes. You cannot have just judges with bribery anymore than you can have a just society with it. The people are against the rot of corruption but they need a basis to believe the representatives are on the side of justice by a promise of campaign economic issues for those low information Dem base to know that the effort is real. That requires a united voice that is heard and visual daily. The low information Dem voter base is not convinced of the real threat of the loss of democracy. They only believe in concrete action otherwise they will not bother to vote as the lack of economic issues in 2022 made them not bother,
Everyone's opinion can change, but Romney had his own child tax credit "plan" within the last few years. He is just upset that he couldn't get enough support for his "plan".
Madison also warned about political parties, the danger being that loyalty to party would replace civic virtue. Almost makes me want reincarnation to be real. We could use another James Madison right now.
JHC is everybody in need of a nap that is of just the rite length?
Utterly brilliant.
Utterly Rigged ; Thru and Thru.
Micro-level examples of America's Plantation Economy:
a. Hispanics ordered back to America's meat-packing factories by Drumpf himself; this when people were dropping like flies at the outset of C19. (n.b. on-site White mgt est'd a pool, wagering on who'd drop dead first this week. (True.))
b. These days, Executives (e.g.: Jamie Diamond and his ilk,) ordering hybrid and remote workers back downtown into still semi-vacant office bldgs, for no good reason, just to have managements' egos stroked.
One for One, and All for One.
I have seen more positive reaction to my statement, comment of Feb. 2 than about any other I have posted anywhere. The feedback helps me believe in what I think. I have been fortunate to have lived up and down the East Coast in Chicago and have had an extended visit to Redway California. It was in NYC that I met a woman who was selling her brother's tools. He had died and he had been her last living relative. It hit me hard. He had died of AIDS. However he got the disease doesn't matter. It is clear that all the chemicals in our environment cause cancer. So we can find those responsible. No one can be replaced. Conformists aren't even conformists. As long as we live we have something to give to others. Anyway, thanks for all the response. Thanks to Mr. Hartmann.