OWS

[Cannonpointer]

Their Real Goal: To Make Us All So Cynical About Government, We Give Up -- Robert Reich (op-ed)

Excellent video.

[Boatrocker]

I'd support a draft. For congress and president. Aw, hell, let's just draft SCOTUS judges, too, with term and age limits.

[rstrong]

Pope Francis Slams ‘Trickle Down’ Economics and Greed at the Top

Aw, c'mon. Reagan's promised 'trickle down' wealth should be reaching the middle class any day now.

[Boatrocker]

Pope Francis Slams ‘Trickle Down’ Economics and Greed at the Top

Aw, c'mon. Reagan's promised 'trickle down' wealth should be reaching the middle class any day now.

It's only been 30 years; you gotta have patience.

[Mr.B]

I would ...they're $42.95 everywhere else.....less s&h!

[Wneglia]

Best Idea OWS has had yet.

[rstrong]

More than 77,000 foreign banks, investment funds and other financial institutions have agreed to share information about U.S. account holders with the IRS as part of a crackdown on offshore tax evasion, the Treasury Department announced Monday...

This is causing some controversy in Canada, for violating the privacy and constitutional rights of Canadians deemed to be "U.S. persons" by the US.

It's not just Canadians with dual-citizenship: It includes Canadians whose mothers gave birth across the border because a US hospital was closer; Canadians who have returned after holding green cards for work in the U.S.; Canadian snowbirds who stayed longer than a given time in Florida; Canadians born to a U.S. parent, and Canadians holding a joint account with a U.S.-born spouse. It's estimated to include about 1 in 30 Canadians.

I hope that Canada at least insists on similar requirements from US banks. There's are over half a million Canada/US dual citizens in Canada alone and Americans living in Canada - more than the number of voters in some US states. They, and a similar number in the US - including many who have never been to Canada - would suddenly become "Canadian persons" under the US's own rules. Plus anyone with a Canadian spouse or parent or cabin.

Even if Rafael Ted Cruz were to renounce his Canadian citizenship, US banks would always be required to hand over his banking information to the Canada Revenue Agency. And his spouse's banking information. And his parents' banking information. And his children's banking information.

[rstrong]

Of course, it's not just Canada that will insist on the banking information going both ways. Other countries would too.

To put that into perspective, one in five married households in the US has foreign-born spouse.

Now add Americans with a parent born in another country.
Now add dual citizens.
Now add Americans who have worked in another country.
Now add Americans who have spend substantial holiday time in another country.
Now add all their spouses and children.

All can expect their banking information to be turned over to one foreign government or another.

This adds to border agreements a few years back, where border agencies (and no doubt intelligence agencies) can check the police records and more of each other's citizens.

[neoplacebo]

I once had a bank error in which they charged me twice for the same transaction; once I proved my case (temporary affluenza) they conceded defeat and credited my account on the spot. This happened in a small office away from the general public area. Anyway, I thought to myself, I wish I had THAT computer. But that would be wrong. As far as I know, this is the only time I got even with Wall Street. Hell, they're probably working me right now......

[Wneglia]

"Subject: Is there a Koch problem in Hendersonville?"

Yes, because of the average age of our population.

Host an America Has a Koch Problem Movie Party

I think I'll just read the book.

[Wneglia]

The Pitchforks Are Coming

Good article with interesting argument for raising minimum wage. Not for fairness, but for economic growth. Makes sense. Actually I think I remember Vrede making the same pitch some time ago.

[\V/]

IMHO...As the numbers grow, so does their weapons, and so does their stockpiles grow, and given the current militarization of our police force's...it displays no truer definition but that of fascism!!!
But there are ways to correct that

[rstrong]

Watching childish live-action comic books based in an alternate universe - a particularly moronic universe where killing one leader makes the entire command structure cease functioning - will correct that?

The folks at Tiananmen Square must feel really stupid now.

[\V/]

Watching childish live-action comic books based in an alternate universe - a particularly moronic universe where killing one leader makes the entire command structure cease functioning - will correct that?

The folks at Tiananmen Square must feel really stupid now.

You really missed the message there...you are consistent
You can't speak about things you are oblivious of...you only show "how" uninformed you really are!!!

[rstrong]

Living in reality does that.

This is like talking to Dick Cheney and friends. A Saturday morning cartoon view of the world and a complete denial of history.

[\V/]

You think know me...ehh???
Keep on posting your ignorance...just seems a 'bad' thing to be consistant at, jes sayin :-0?>

[\V/]

You seem to forget our last debate..so soon
Re: We Are Legion

http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3 ... nymous.mp4

[\V/]

Fwiw, \V/'s point is made in detail by Wneglia's citation, industrialist Nick Hanauer. Who cares if \V/ chooses to use cinematic allegory to express it his way? The argument is still the same and it's a pretty strong one.

Plus, the message of V for Vendetta's final scene is about the popular uprising, not "killing one leader makes the entire command structure cease functioning". We have often seen where militaries/police chose not to kill their own citizens. If you're going to limit your attack to the cinematic allegory, you might as well do so accurately.

Thank you, Vrede!!!
I was hoping I wasn't alone on that...talk about Cheney and friends...that was getting way out there, jes sayin

[rstrong]

Drone protesting grandmother gets a year in prison in Syracuse

Mary Anne Grady Flores, a grandmother from New York State, was sentenced to a year in prison for nonviolently recording a likewise nonviolent protest over the training of drone pilots at Hancock Air Base near Syracuse.

[O Really]

BofA in $17B Settlement Over Mortgage Bonds

Wow. Still, jail time would have been nice.

I guess they're really going to make neoplacebo pay his mortgage on time now.

"Jail time"? Seriously? What happened to the Goat's ranting about how the US has more people in prison than everyone else combined...yada? I don't know what they did with those actually responsible, hopefully sacked them and charged them with the most they could. I'd have no problem with financial ruin and making them work on Habitat projects for 10 years or so, but jail doesn't seem any more appropriate for them than for any other non-violent offender.