The WAWG Blog

While corporate bankers get bailed out with public funds for their greedy mistakes and with Net Neutrality changed to enhance corporate greed, citizens are being arrested for protesting economic, social, racial, and environmental injustices (Poor Peoples Campaign), and gifted children, like Aaron Shartz, are driven to suicide for their success at stopping SOPA and freeing public owned documents from corporate control.

Back in 1980, the Koch brothers documented their Libertarian goals when David Koch ran for Vice President by preparing their campaign platform. Below are key “excerpts” from their platform. For contrast, I’ve added [my 2 cents].

“We urge the repeal of federal campaign finance laws, and the immediate abolition of the despotic Federal Election Commission.” [Thanks to the Citizens United decision, this commission has basically been neutered. The mission of the FEC is to administer and enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) that governs the financing of federal elections.]

“We favor the abolition of Medicare and Medicaid programs.” [Results in early death of seniors who can’t afford private medical care.]

“We oppose any compulsory insurance or tax-supported plan to provide health services, including those which finance abortion services.” [This is a bone for getting Evangelical support. If you can’t afford health insurance, you have my “thoughts and prayers.”]

“We also favor the deregulation of the medical insurance industry.” [Most people can’t afford medical insurance as is. Mary and I are paying exorbitant monthly premiums for Dawn’s medical insurance.]

“We favor the repeal of the fraudulent, virtually bankrupt, and increasingly oppressive Social Security system. Pending that repeal, participation in Social Security should be made voluntary.” [Privatizing SS puts seniors at greater risk of falling into poverty.]

“We propose the abolition of the governmental Postal Service. The present system, in addition to being inefficient, encourages governmental surveillance of private correspondence. Pending abolition, we call for an end to the monopoly system and for allowing free competition in all aspects of postal service.” [Eliminating the Postal Service, reducing competition for the existing private services like FedEx.]

“We oppose all personal and corporate income taxation, including capital gains taxes.” [Elimination of taxes is really about defunding public institutions like our schools. As a citizen of America, I believe we must pay citizenship dues for the privilege of being here and helping those with worse luck than me.]

“We support the eventual repeal of all taxation.” [Without taxation, there is no way to control inflation. Our federal government can create unlimited dollars to boost the economy, but it needs taxation to remove dollars from an overheated economy.]

“As an interim measure, all criminal and civil sanctions against tax evasion should be terminated immediately.” [Don’t arrest those who refuse to pay citizenship dues.]

“We support repeal of all law which impede the ability of any person to find employment, such as minimum wage laws.” [Get rid of minimum wage so employers can pay less.]

“We advocate the complete separation of education and State. Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. Government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools and colleges should be ended.” [Privatize education to teach consumerism instead of citizenship.]

“We condemn compulsory education laws … and we call for the immediate repeal of such laws.” [This is about tax reduction and education only for the wealthy.]

“We support the repeal of all taxes on the income or property of private schools, whether profit or non-profit.”

“We support the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency.” [Our planet has limited “carrying capacity” and excessive use of natural resource exceeds that capacity. Speaking of unlimited Libertarian freedom, life on this planet, excluding humans, has lived freely but without destroying it’s environment. President Nixon, a Republican, signed the law that created the EPA. Nixon also signed the Clean Air and Clean Water acts into law.]

“We support abolition of the Department of Energy.” [This department regulates much of their business.]

“We call for the dissolution of all government agencies concerned with transportation, including the Department of Transportation.” [This also benefits the industries the Kochs own.]

“We demand the return of America’s railroad system to private ownership. We call for the privatization of the public roads and national highway system.” [Imagine the daily cost of tolls you would pay during your daily activities if public roads were privatized.]

“We specifically oppose laws requiring an individual to buy or use so-called “self-protection” equipment such as safety belts, air bags, or crash helmets.” [Permit unsafe conditions that force everyone else to pay for the uninsured in the emergency room.]

“We advocate the abolition of the Federal Aviation Administration.”

“We advocate the abolition of the Food and Drug Administration.” [Allow sale of unhealthy products.]

“We support an end to all subsidies for child-bearing built into our present laws, including all welfare plans and the provision of tax-supported services for children.” [This is racist since it predominantly impacts the poor.]

“We oppose all government welfare, relief projects, and ‘aid to the poor’ programs. All these government programs are privacy-invading, paternalistic, demeaning, and inefficient. The proper source of help for such persons is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals.” [Our level of poverty is growing and private groups cannot finance the needs.]

“We call for the privatization of the inland waterways, and of the distribution system that brings water to industry, agriculture and households.”

“We call for the repeal of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.” [Protecting employees is costly. President Nixon, a Republican, signed the law that created the OSHA.]

“We call for the abolition of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.” [“The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) protects the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under its jurisdiction, including products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children.” Corporations are removing themselves from our court system and trial by jury through forcing citizens to sign arbitration agreements when they buy products or services. Abba has an arbitration clause in every contract. For a company that ethically regulates itself per Libertarian philosophy, that’s not a problem for the consumer. But we all know there are unethical businesses that deserve to be sued.]

“We support the repeal of all state usury laws.” [No limit on interest for loans.]

For more on their decades long, stealth, effort to implement this platform, without being elected to office and by forcing a Constitutional Convention to rewrite our Constitution, read Democracy In Chains by Nancy MacLean. The chapter titled “No Compromise” is about the Koch brothers.

https://history.duke.edu/book/democracy-chains

Putting profit before people has led to decades of poisoning our air, our water and our soil. Some of this abuse has resulted from privatization of public resources. Blind allegiance to profit has also led to torturing of gifted individuals who have tried to reverse privatization by making what was public, public again.

The Internet’s Own Boy, the story of Aaron Swartz, an internet innovator, who stopped SOPA (the first attempt to privatize the internet), who laid the foundation for a fourteen year old to develop a test for detecting pancreatic cancer, and who later committed suicide at age 26 after threats of decades in prison and total loss of access to computers, reveals the torture Aaron, his family, and his friends suffered for his effort to make public papers public again.

My takeaways from this story:

• Privatization of public resources always puts profit before people.
• Effectively opposing the abuse of citizens from privatization puts you on a hit list of law enforcement agencies controlled indirectly by the oligarchy.
• If you commit an ‘illegal’ act because you want to make the world a better place while also unraveling a bad law, you will be prosecuted to discourage putting people before profit.
• If you commit an ‘illegal’ act because you want to make yourself excessively wealthy while abusing others, prosecutors, working for the same oligarchy, will look the other way and let the abuse grow.
• Imprisoning publicly funded research papers in JSTOR for profit is abusive in the same way imprisoning citizens for drug use that harms no one. Both destroy valuable human resources that could make the world a better place for all.
• In the case of trying to imprison Aaron Swartz and pushing him to suicide, the loss to the world is great based on what Aaron had already given us by putting people before profit.

In 1970, income and wealth inequality were at historical lows. The income tax tables had over 25 brackets with the top marginal rate of 74%. Campaign funding was limited to the presidential campaigns and lobbyists were few and far between.

After the Brown v Board of Education the development of ideas to resist federal laws was initiated. Read Democracy In Chains for details which also includes who funded this idea development like the Koch Brothers.

In 1971, Lewis Powell wrote a memo at the request of the president of the US Chamber of Commerce. This memo laid the foundation for corporate intrusion into our political process.

In 1970, for the second time in our national history, a law, called the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, was passed that changed the way Congress operated. This act is what enabled the massive growth in lobbyists, changed how our laws were written, and enable organizations like the NRA to keep laws desired by the majority from becoming law.

Listen to Congressional researcher James D’Angelo as he explains how the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 opened up politicians voting records and has helped special interests and corporations put profit before people:

Which candidates will speak loudly and repeatedly about long-term, still-growing, massive, widespread, injustices in America?

There are those who believe inequality is normal and ordained. God is at the top, followed by white male Christianists, then everyone else based on religion, skin color, sex, and sexual orientation. Those who believe this, and have gained control of our government, perpetrate massive injustices since they also believe in extreme punishment as a teaching tool.

Democratic candidates must speak out loudly and repeatedly against the decades-long economic, social, racial, and environmental INJUSTICES that have been perpetrated by these extremist right-wing authoritarian leaders.

• Since women are paid less, kept from advancing, and harassed by these leaders, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since LBGTQ individuals have suffered humiliation and death for their genetic-driven lifestyle, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since healthcare for women is carelessly decided and access is limited by men, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since high school student have had enough with mass school shootings, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since our war veterans have suffered both mental and physical trauma in service to America and are not getting the care they earned, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.

• Since all workers have suffered from long-term wage theft, loss of benefits, and excessive income inequality, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since students seeking higher education are burdened with insurmountable debt and they can’t afford marriage or a home, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since the middle class is shrinking and the poor class is growing, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since the unemployable class is growing as the use of automation increases, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since tens of millions of Americans can’t afford health care or have gone bankrupt paying for medical issues beyond their control, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.

• Since people of color live with racial injustice all of their lives, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since people of color are more likely to be abused or killed by authority figures, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since people of color have had enough with neighborhood gun violence, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since people of color have had their vote suppressed for decades, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since people of color have are still affected by redlining while trying to buy a home, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.

• Since people of color and the poor, are more likely to live near polluting, dirty-energy refineries, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since Native Americans have suffered injustices of all kinds, including the destruction, contamination, and theft of their lands, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since many citizens are poisoned by chemicals in our putblic water supplies and air, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.
• Since many citizens are poisoned by chemicals fracked or dumped into their private well water, they want to know candidates understand their abuse and are going to do something about it.

Policies developed to resolve these injustices for all the people, requires both:

– Government representatives with the moral commitment to equally protect and empower all the people such that 1) People’s individual freedoms are maximized, and 2) Economic, social, racial, and environmental injustices are minimized, and
– An active participation (voting and political participation) of a majority of the people to maintain such a people driven government.

For all candidates, what will you say and do about these, and many other, long-term, still- growing, massive, widespread, injustices in America?

Who are these people using WMDs for mass murder in America?

They are men who have been taught that there is a social heirarchy with God at the top. After God comes white, Christianist, males, then everyone else based on religion, sex, sexual orientation, and skin color. This allows them to devalue all those NOT like them. They also believe in severe punishment, up to and including death/war, as a necessary tool for enforcing their world view. “Do what I say or die, you nonhuman animal.”

These are the men who kill others in massive numbers so easily and they are defended by those like them: some of whom are our elected officials who get money from the #NRA and who need to be voted out of office.

From Intro To Modern Money Theory:

“Modern Monetary Theory is partly a description of how our modern fiat, floating exchange rate currencies actually work, and partly a prescription of what we ought to do with this knowledge. MMT realizes that many of the constraints we place on our money system today as well as many of our models for understanding it are actually holdovers from the era of gold-standards and fixed exchange rates that don’t apply at all today.”

Here’s my take on how MMT works to create a national balanced economy that results in full-capacity, full employment, and low-inflation.  The balance is between employment and inflation – not income and spending.

Imagine that America’s economic capacity is a swimming pool. This swimming pool is filled with liquid US Dollars. When the US economy is at full capacity the money in the pool is at just the right level. This right level for a full capacity economy is where the number of available jobs equals the number of available workers. Thus the economy is at full capacity.

If more jobs exist than workers, the level of the pool is too high and the government must reduce the level of money in the pool to bring employment and jobs back into balance by reducing the money supply and/or increasing taxes (draining the pool of money) to reduce the number of jobs. If there are more workers than jobs, the government must pour more money into the pool, creating more jobs, and bring the level back to full employment.   Raising taxes (draining the pool) in this situation would defeat/slow increasing the flow of money into the economy and make creating jobs difficult.

This effort to maintain a balanced economy changes when the deficit, the flow of money into and out of the pool/economy (money supply and taxes) becomes a problem. As long as the economy is at full capacity, the money flow is properly balanced. If that leads to a deficit, more spending than taxing, it’s OK, because the economy is balanced by additional employee spending from full employment and the purchase of goods and services that would otherwise not happen. The extra money is circulating and maintaining full employment. The extra money also allows people to save for retirement and pay for health insurance.

On the other hand, if the deficit occurs while there is any imbalance in the full capacity of the balanced economy, it’s a problem. For example, DJT is increasing defense spending by a small amount to keep/grow jobs while decreasing taxes by a much larger amount – not draining the pool. This means money is being added to the economy but not it a way that will promote full employment and more consumer spending. The economic capacity, or money in the pool, will rise but it won’t result in a balanced economy because most or the money won’t be spent on jobs, goods and services. Instead, it will be spent in investment markets to enrich the one percent and inflate the stock market which doesn’t help balance jobs and workers to attain a full capacity economy.

In other wards, deficits are good if they result in full employment and a balance economy but bad if they result in increased austerity, growing economic inequality and fewer jobs.

Also, a balanced federal budget translates into bad deficits, an economy far below capacity, lots of unemployment, lower wages, under employment and prevents solving problems like global warming without end, no universal health care, no greening of our energy sources, and perpetual austerity except for the one percent.

Good deficits lead to a balanced economy that minimizes economic inequality.

————
More:

The unfolding climate crisis demands that we make an urgent and just transition to a green economy. The question many are asking is, “How will the U.S. government pay for this transition?” In this talk we learn how the U.S. has used modern money since we came off the gold standard in 1971, which offers substantial new options which have not been utilized. Modern monetary theory can be used by the federal government to create new green jobs, build a green economy, and fund social programs in a surprisingly affordable and complete way.

Randy Mandell works on Modern Money Revolution, a campaign of 1 Sustainable Planet and 350Seattle.org, and actively works for climate recovery.

I’ve posted multiple times about my concerns with profit-centric MSM and their requirement to put profit before the common good of we the people.

For many, profit-centric news is only kind of news with which you are familiar. Well, back before Reagan, it wasn’t this way. The evening news was only available on three networks, who broadcast over the publicly owned airways, and were required to report the facts of reality if they wanted to use our Public airways. The news staff were forbidden to fraternize with the marketing staff. The news staff were responsible for serving the common good of all citizens. That all ended when the “Fairness Doctrine” was eliminated and the non-profit news of old, was merged into the profit-centric entertainment divisions of the networks.

But now, MSM does what ever it takes to attract the most viewers to the commercial ads they run. They all play the ratings game and brag when possible. The more eyeballs they capture, the more they can charge for those ads.

Part of the effort to maximize their profits includes attracting viewers from both sides of the political spectrum. To do this, they have talking heads from both sides of an issue.

The problem with this balanced reporting is that it presents a false equivalency. Take global warming as an example. Even though the scientific community is split 97 to 3 in favor of man-made climate change, the news is presented as two equal options for the viewer to consider.

This equivalency keeps both sides watching, doesn’t change anyone’s opinion, and keeps the eyeballs on the commercial ads. Here’s another way to report on this issue:

Just be aware of this effort to equate that which isn’t, and it’s ability to reinforce a false reality for those who believe it. It is not in the interest of the people’s common good and is now profit-driven.

$700 Billion for the Pentagon – Where Will All That Federal Money Come From? A Few Taps on a Keyboard.

DJT just signed a bill to provide $700 Billion for the Pentagon in FY2018 while Congress is working on a new, enormous, welfare giveaway for the one percent. How is this possible?

Once a federal spending budget is approved, credits to all government spending accounts are added. It’s just a matter of a few keystrokes at a federal government computer. Then, poof, there’s money in their accounts to spend. Nothing was printed. The authorized funds were just added “out of thin air” to these accounts. For some accounts, like the DoD, there will be increases from 2017. For social programs, there will be decreases from 2017.

Guess what. If our federal government officials were of a different political persuasion, they would use the same technique to increase funding for healthcare for all and transitioning to a green economy while creating new jobs for sustaining instead of destroying life.

It’s up to We The People to make this happen – participate in the political process! Force candidates to address the issues you are most concerned about. Help register voters. Help encourage registered voters to vote.

“Modern monetary theory has been used to pay for our bloated military but can be used by the federal government to create new green jobs, build a green economy, and fund social programs in a surprisingly affordable and complete way.” Learn more.

• That self-made individuals are a myth.
• That empathy is natural and requires nurturing.
• That we are all responsible for ourselves and each other.
• That equality is an honorable goal.
• That we must protect and preserve our common wealth for our benefit and the benefit of all who come after us.
• That learning is an act of love for all things unknown.
• That government, of, by, and for we the governed, must equally protect and empower all breathing citizens.
• That maintaining the people’s government requires citizen participation to avoid control by a minority.
• That citizenship dues in proportion to one’s use of the common wealth, and growth in population, is absolutely necessary for maintaining a people’s government and the infrastructure of our economy.
• That the workplace requires democratization to minimize concentration of power that will tend to destroy democracy.
• That thinking is emotional, mostly unconscious, individually unique, evolved from our predecessors, depends on our bodily experiences, and largely metaphorical.