Immoral Deal, How We Fight Back and More

        Photo from Bernie Sander's site

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism- ownership of government by an individual or by a group. " Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Code Pink calls it "the rich man's coup". It has been in the works for 30 years and now we see it reaching its culmination in the dreadful, deficit ceiling deal. The poor and middle class are being asked to bear all the burden for reducing our deficit as trillions are slashed from critically needed programs, but the super rich and corporations making record breaking profits are not asked to contribute one cent. Is it clear now who "owns" the Tea Party, the Republicans and yes, many of the Democrats too?

Last night we had a great MoveOn meeting to begin fighting back to Rebuild the American Dream. First we all said one word to summarize how we were feeling about the deficit deal. About 30 people had a very similar response- disgusted, angered and frustrated, but one person, Mike Compain, said "motivated". That's the spirit we need now. We know we are up against huge power with limitless money, but we have millions of impassioned Americans and right on our side.  We are not going to sit back and let corporate America and the moneyed elite continue to steal from us and not pay their share. We are rising up all over this nation!

Please join us Wednesday, August 10 at noon in front of Congressman Hinchey's office at 291 Wall Street in Kingston. Because we have an unemployment crisis, not a debt crisis, this will be a day of nationwide action to ask Congress "Where Are the Jobs?" We will be demanding  job creation, that the rich pay their share and that the safety net not be shredded. Lucky for us, Congressman Hinchey is with us, so we are also there to thank him. We hope to have a huge turn out so the media and politicians in DC see how serious we are. Check MoveOn.org for more information.  If you have lost your job and would like to say a few words write to me at clearstreammedia@gmail.com or you can wear a sign, ie "unemployed teacher". Bring a pair of binoculars if you can- so we can all be looking for where the jobs are- a great visual the media will like. It will be a great rally and we hope to see you there!

1. We Could Have Eliminated the Deficit with This 

A recent first time audit shows that the Fed secretly gave banks and corporations $16 trillion, not $800 billion. TARP was just the start. "As a result of this audit, we now know that the Federal Reserve provided more than $16 trillion in total financial assistance to some of the largest financial institutions and corporations in the United States and throughout the world," said Sanders. "This is a clear case of socialism for the rich and rugged, you're-on-your-own individualism for everyone else."

2. Right-wing Policies Spreading Like Wildfire 

Forty seven states have introduced legislation that will disenfranchise millions of Americans in 2012. Using the nonexistent threat of "voter fraud" (which only occurs in a tiny, tiny fraction of 1%) legislatures are making it harder for the elderly, people of color and students (read Democrats for the most part) to vote. In Texas for instance, you can use your gun registration as ID, but not your student ID card. Thirty states have introduced anti-immigration legislation (to help fill up profit-making prisons), 42 states are considering legislation to declare the national health program unconstitutional and 24 states have introduced anti-worker provisions. Read about the front group for the Kochs and right wing lobbying groups- called ALEC- that is the driving force for this extreme agenda.

3. Air Force Cites Jesus and a Nazi to Justify Nuclear War

Information released under the FOIA, shows that nuclear missile officers (those who would push the button if the command came) in the Air Force were given a training that used the Bible and a Nazi scientist to justify launching nukes. One officer said the training could have been called  "Jesus Loves Nukes". Since Truthout exposed it, the Air Force has shut that training down.

4. Desperate for Democracy in Iraq

"The U.S.-based women’s rights group MADRE (6/10/11) reported that members of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq—its partner organization in Baghdad—and other protesters were brutally beaten and sexually assaulted in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on June 10 by government-sponsored mobs. What were they demonstrating for that so threatened Iraq’s government...Democracy."

5. Mother Earth Protests Fracking in Arkansas

"A moratorium on well activity had been in place for months as geologists investigated a possible link between fracking activity and the outbreak of more than 1,200 earthquakes that measured lower than 4.7 in magnitude."