Jesse posted this POS from Robert Reich. The more I read of Jesse the lower my opinion of him sinks. I am only the messinger for all you commenters who attack the messinger if you don’t like the message.
Where Are We Heading — Bedford Falls or Pottersville?
By Robert Reich
December 22, 2012
It’s easy to feel discouraged about the bullying by right-wing Republicans and their patrons over everything from gun control to taxes and social safety nets to trade unions and jobs.
Every year about now I watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” again to remind myself what Frank Capra understood about America — its essential decency and common sense.
In many ways the nation is better than it was in 1946 when the movie first appeared. Women have gained economic power and reproductive rights; we enacted Civil Rights and Voting Rights and, through Medicare and Medicaid, dramatically reduced poverty among the elderly; we began to tackle environmental devastation; we stopped treating gays as criminals and have even started to recognize equal marriage rights. We elected and then re-elected the first black president of the United States. We have enacted the bare beginnings of universal healthcare.
But we are still in danger of the “Pottersville” Capra saw as the consequence of what happens when Americans fail to join together and forget the meaning of the public good.
If Lionel Barrymore’s “Mr. Potter” were alive today he’d call himself a “job creator” and condemn George Bailey as a socialist. He’d be financing a fleet of lobbyists to get lower taxes on multi-millionaires like himself, overturn environmental laws, trample on workers’ rights, and shred social safety nets. He’d fight any form of gun control. He’d want the citizens of Pottersville to be economically insecure – living paycheck to paycheck and worried about losing their jobs – so they’d be dependent on his good graces.
The Mr. Potters are still alive and well in America, threatening our democracy with their money and our common morality with their greed.
Call me naive or sentimental but I still believe the George Baileys will continue to win this contest. They know we’re all in it together, and that if we succumb to the bullying selfishness of the Potters we lose America and relinquish the future.
I Love the TSA says:
Damn. I don’t think it’s possible for someone to have missed the point more completely.
Potter is Wall Street. Bailey represents the community banks. The rest of Reich’s critique is non-textual fantasizing.
But I preach to the choir here.
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26th December 2012 at 11:20 am
AWD says:
Just another rant by a clueless progressive shit-for-brains. Same old shit; the government can and will fix our problems. Everyone is entitled to rights and compensation, entitled to healthcare and jobs. It doesn’t work, except is a socialist paradise within these idiots brains. If only we could tax, spend, and create more stimulus. More free shit, entitlements, and government control. These fucking idiots never give up.
Government regulations, unions, and a mountain of new taxes will destroy small businesses and jobs, driving what ever remains of production in this country out of this country. These idiots always expect someone else to pay for all the entitlements, rights, and free shit. Then the productive get tired of being milk cows (see Lipoh) and shut down production. Socialism/communism always ends the same way. Fuck this bullshit. Wake the fuck up, asshole.
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26th December 2012 at 11:22 am
AWD says:
The progressives have consolidated their >50% majority, and cannot now be voted out of office (not that there is much difference to begin with). The real number that matters is “the 25%”, the people that actually pay taxes and produce in this country. They will not stand by, taking it up the ass in taxes so the majority can get a free ride. It easier to simply stop being productive than to give most of your earnings and what you labor for to a corrupt thieving government to redistribute to lazy shitheads and bailouts to the rich.
“The fiscal cliff is only one edge we’re racing toward; there are others. One is a Constitutional Crisis cliff that is just beyond the fiscal cliff, because the Constitution has failed to limit the power of concentrated wealth (the financial Aristocracy) and failed to resolve the Tyranny of the Majority: 50+% of the voters are now dependent on Federal transfers, while 25% pay 90% of the Federal income taxes. Those collecting benefits will naturally vote for what they perceive as their immediate self-interest, which is raising taxes on the minority until the minority rebels.
The only other option is to print the needed $100 trillion, which will destroy the nation’s currency and economy. Either way, the 50+% will find the promises made are empty. Either the oppressed 25% opt out (“when belief in the system fades”) and tax revenues collapse or everyone’s $1,500 transfer from the Federal government will buy a single loaf of bread. Either way, we will face a political crisis.”
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26th December 2012 at 11:37 am
AWD says:
Robert Reich, What a douchebag
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26th December 2012 at 11:44 am
Bman says:
I must have missed the gun that george bailey weilded to take from potter to give to the “poor”.
No, it was the free choice of george to not sell out to potter, and to continue helping people. The main point is called a moral code–doing what is right, not just expedient or selfish.
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26th December 2012 at 11:47 am
Olga says:
Suckers are born every minute – what we do when presented with these suckers is the difference between Potter and Bailey.
Some people feel they have a right to take advantage of fools and children – other people feel differently.
And the regulation – or lack of regulation – follows accordingly.
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26th December 2012 at 12:11 pm
Pirate Jo says:
Oh yeah. We “dramatically reduced poverty among the elderly” alright. We made them the richest demographic in the country and STILL throw more money at them than any other group of people.
Bleh.
Which little South Park kid is it that barfs every time he sees the cute girl? I’m doing one of those right now.
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26th December 2012 at 2:37 pm
IndenturedServant says:
Stan
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26th December 2012 at 3:28 pm
Steve Blackham says:
http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/12/24/some-create-wealth-only-themselves
Imagine your community as a village of 100 people with Henry F. Potter at the top taking 17 shares of the villages production yearly. His 19 property managers demand another 33 shares from the village. The remaining 80 village serfs are left with only 50 shares or .63 shares each. The minimum cost of living in this village is .5 shares per year, so over time the retained wealth of the bottom 80 serfs is next to nothing while the top hold over 80 percent of the village’s wealth.
This may not describe your community but it does your nation. These are exactly the ratios of wealth and income in our nation today.
Marriner Eccles likened this wealth disparity to a poker game in which one player held all the chips so you couldn’t continue the game. If you do the math of this village and our nation’s present wealth disparity you can easily see why our economy can’t get back up to speed again.
Six members of the Walton (Walmart) family have more wealth than the lower 40 percent of America? We don’t mean to disparage the rich. Marriner Eccles, if he were alive today would be part of that top 1 percent. Look at the job generating businesses he built, the years of service he gave to his nation, and at how his estate has enriched our state’s universities. Unhappily, for every “Marriner Eccles” today, we have ten Henry F. Potters.
The solution could be to transfer this wealth through heavier taxation, but would that solve the problem? Discern the differences between Bedford Falls and Pottersville. Look at the relationships between people. There you will find the answer to our economic problems.
Do you bank with Henry F. Potter or the Bailey Brothers? Do you invest your retirement savings with Wall Street Banksters or closer to home? Do you trade with the Waltons who have exported your jobs or with your main street neighbors? Do you live within your means or do you over consume on shylock credit? Your every day economic decisions are determining whether you live in Pottersville or Bedford Falls!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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26th December 2012 at 4:01 pm
Steve Blackham says:
And yea! I’m a progressive!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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26th December 2012 at 4:04 pm
underfire says:
Steve Blackham, Your argument for increased entitlement spending would carry a little water if it wasn’t being done on the backs of our future generations. Anyone advocating more Govt. spending, while handing the bill to our grandchildren, is just one more part of the immorality that has brought this country to the edge of collapse.
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26th December 2012 at 5:14 pm
Wyoming Mike says:
I agree UF, progressives are uncaring leeches who would empty the pond to get the fish rather than learning to fish. Why worry about tomorrow when we can feast today!?! Hate those assholes.
We had a community dinner yesterday for anyone who wanted to come. You can always tell the progs, 2nds & not a dime in the donation box. Trying to get their share like the prog above said. Meanwhile, you can always tell the Libertarians, they’re the ones putting the meal together and cleaning up, most without eating themselves.
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26th December 2012 at 5:46 pm
Axel says:
Mr. Potter was…just doing God’s work. Leave him alone.
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26th December 2012 at 5:49 pm
Hope@ZeroKelvin says:
“The Mr. Potters are still alive and well in America, threatening our democracy with their money and our common morality with their greed.”
They sure as hell are Mr. Reich – LOOK IN A FUCKING MIRROR!
Gaaahhh, every time I hear that phrase “come together for the common good”, I wan to puke.
It SHOULD be a common good that results from free individuals exercising their rights and interests in a lawful way but what the libtard proglodytes mean is that some elites will formulate some good and use the jackboot of the State to enforcing it.
Here’s where the libtard proglodytes have, and are, taking us:
Here’s a slide show for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Detroit+Decay&FORM=RESTAB#view=detail&id=FF5E69E959007D136C22437D565DB12099EBE075&selectedIndex=11
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26th December 2012 at 5:53 pm
AWD says:
Let’s roast a progressive liberal for New Years.
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26th December 2012 at 5:58 pm
underfire says:
Steve Blackham says: And yea! I’m a progressive!
So maybe you can speak to the progressive cause. I can understand how making sure all are fed, housed, given healthcare, schooling, unlimited sized families, etc., all in the name of being good and doing the “right thing”, can be viewed as a good thing to do.
But how do you reconcile putting others into hock to do it? Especially the young who have been saddled with the decades of debt that we’ve required to keep our lifestyle going. Every youngster today, as he/she hits the workforce becomes responsible for one million plus of funded and unfunded liabilities, nearly a lifetime of earnings for a median wage family. Does this factor into your equation?
Looking forward to your response.
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26th December 2012 at 9:13 pm
Novista says:
Steve Blackham
into the lions’ den, I congratulate you. Your second message, however, was redundant — we do textual deconstruction well.
Being able to do simple arithmetic earns you points. I’d like next to see your analysis of Social Security, from the 1936 promises to the future unfunded liabilities (and please take into account two decisions by the Supremes.)
Marriner Eccles, hey? I bet you believe the myths of the trustbusters, too. Praxeology is such a trial, looking and finding the men behind the curtain. To ME, I would say, “You didn’t build that.” I’m sure you know that early history. Well. let’s have a thought experiment, based on the assumption that some of the 1% could steal as well and for longer.
Part of this experiment assumed asset forfeiture as practiced on ordinary citizens as applied to that demonic 1%. Take all their wealth and calculate how long it would take to spend it in this year’s government economy.
For extra credit, you might write an essay on the ‘miracle of compound interest’ wrt the 1%.
Thanks. Have a great 2013.
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26th December 2012 at 10:19 pm
SSS says:
“And yea! I’m a progressive!”
—-Steve Blackham
Did you used to be a liberal? I’ll bet my life’s savings you used to describe yourself as a liberal. Why did you change titles of your political philosophy? Is it because the brand wasn’t selling? I’ll bet my life’s savings that it was because the brand wasn’t selling.
Have you ever considered that you might be a victim of the vast left-wing propaganda machine that, quite frankly, has been extremely successful in rebranding its products that haven’t gained traction with the public. Exhibit A in today’s world is the former Global Warming to today’s Climate Change. Why? Global Warming wasn’t cutting it, either here or abroad. So let’s try Climate Change and blame EVERYTHING related to climate, especially the bad stuff, on the subtext of global warming. It’s a fucking joke, but damned if it isn’t working better than global warming.
The political left has ALWAYS held a mastery of propaganda, largely because its viewpoints cannot be supported by facts and reason. So lies, deceipt, and distortion are your main weapons, and you use them most effectively.
And now, Steve, you and your fellow progressive travelers are winning the fight for the direction America is taking. Congratulations. Never let up. Grind the enemy into dust. Otherwise, there may be a surprise ending. In fact, I guarantee there will be a surprise ending.
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26th December 2012 at 12:25 am
Llpoh says:
Steve and the other fuckwit progressives look at “shares” independent to value or contribution. Some folks deserve hundreds, perhaps thousands or even millions, of shares owing to their contibutions being so extreme. Others deserve no shares whatsoever as they contribute nothing whatsoever.
His village example is bullshit as it does not allocate or consider value – perhaps the entire village would starve without the expertise of that lone villager at the top. Perhaps he should get even more shares as without him the entire village might perish.
Compensation must reflect output and value – otherwise those contributing the most take their balls and go home.
Too difficult a concept for progressives to grasp, I guess.
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26th December 2012 at 12:42 am
Llpoh says:
That said I like his comments re daily decisions effecting the world in general.
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26th December 2012 at 12:46 am
SSS says:
“That said I like his comments re daily decisions effecting the world in general.”
—-Llpoh
What’s to like?
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26th December 2012 at 12:57 am
Llpoh says:
I like the part about living within one’s means, avoiding Walmart, buying from/dealing with local business, banking locally if possible. Those things are good ideas, and making good decisions absolutely effects what happens to the world in general.
What is not to like about those things?
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26th December 2012 at 1:11 am
underfire says:
I wonder what the world would look like now if we had taken the path of living within our means decades ago. Opening the Pandora’s box of our debt financed lifestyle looks to have unleashed all kinds of demons, maybe foremost is the sense of entitlement everyone feels just because they are in America.
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26th December 2012 at 2:13 am
Steve Blackham says:
Do you guys read what you are writing? Paranoia?
If you didn’t get it. What I was saying is that Government can’t fix this. I wish it could. It would be easier.
People have to begin to connect the dots. There are Morlocks out there sure! But if the Eloi didn’t march to their sirens, the Morlocks couldn’t exist. Does that sound like a liberal, progressive plot. Get a grip!
You ought to do a little research into Marriner Eccles also. Fourth Turning? Here we go around again because we refuse to learn the lessons of the last cycle.
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26th December 2012 at 3:36 am
Olga says:
It SHOULD be a common good that results from free individuals exercising their rights and interests in a lawful way but what the libtard proglodytes mean is that some elites will formulate some good and use the jackboot of the State to enforcing it.
====================================
Agreed.
Now how do we as a Nation deal with the individuals hiding behind the CORPORATIONS “exercising all their rights and interests in a lawful way”?
IMO our problems stem from the CORPORATIONS (and BANKS) hiding behind the “common good of the people” as an excuse to rape and pillage the planet without having to deal with any of the externalities that “free individuals” are forced to deal with.
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26th December 2012 at 6:11 am
ThePessimisticChemist says:
“hrough Medicare and Medicaid, dramatically reduced poverty among the elderly;”
At the expense of the young.
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26th December 2012 at 10:00 am
todd says:
Root of all evil is the fractional reserve fiat money system.
By design the closer a person to the creation of new money in an inflationary system the more they are going to benefit. So over the last 100 years since the creation of the fed and especially since buddy nixon nixed the gold linkage the system is doing exactly what it was designed to do…the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Imagine your community as a village of 100 people with Henry F. Potter at the top taking 17 shares of the villages production yearly. His 19 property managers demand another 33 shares from the village. The remaining 80 village serfs are left with only 50 shares or .63 shares each. The minimum cost of living in this village is .5 shares per year, so over time the retained wealth of the bottom 80 serfs is next to nothing while the top hold over 80 percent of the village’s wealth.
Then Henry F. Potter and the others on the top whine to the government that liquidity has dried up so the gov prints some stimulus money to “prime the pump” The government channels that stimulus to those at the top –they always “kickback” don’t they– and the process starts all over again. Each time Pottersville -or I guess since this isn’t all fiction we might as well just call them Hoovervilles- residents get less and less of the shrinking pie of wealth because government is inefficient at best at redistribution and inflation is a mother fucker of a tax. Taxes going up is just govs way of reclaiming his share of that central bank created wealth, slop up that extra gravy; to grow and prosper our fantastic social contract with each other.
Liberals like to think the kind of dumb fuck government that taxes production and pays to destroy our food crops would be a better distributor of wealth than a truly free market.
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26th December 2012 at 10:31 pm
Ld Elon says:
You can leave now, awd, so we may distribute the wealth you would have raped.
Are you to blast off to Mars, good luck?
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26th December 2012 at 11:09 pm
Ld Elon says:
Can we take down that statue please, it doesn’t deserve to be erected in a place that’s non liberal.
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26th December 2012 at 11:23 pm
underfire says:
“You can leave now, awd, so we may distribute the wealth you would have raped.”
AWD…you heard it here first! Your jig is up. Might as well retire from med practice and do the right thing, join the FSA and join in the GOOD CAUSE.
What a dumb Bastard awd is, All those university years and he didn’t learn that wealth just magically appears. And to think that admin. doesn’t kick this dumb shit off of tbp.
….you don’t really think you and your family should be entitled to a better life from your years of med school, student loans to be paid off, and hard work and sacrifice today, now do you? What a dumb shit!
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26th December 2012 at 12:08 am
Ld Elon says:
Should a Man that works the streets, a street sweeper, be less so payed, than a Man that deals in politics, or is a Dr / Medic, or even a soldier.
I so do here of bonus, bonus, bonus, and, so do think, greed, greed, greed. your ‘pottergate’ no doubt.
To categorize is stigmatic, we are for all of one, that’s not to say, that i do not recognize the forefathers, or difference, of course i do, and we are their children, so we being a mix of their differences, but we are still here, on ‘ONE’ planet, that we must learn to share, or-else, it is a cut throat island.
Regardless of the illusion of individual wealth, if one is enriched, so another will be, and must be, it is a general understanding of the ‘needed’, and it is for the process of development.
This problem, would state, one is not being wholesome.
When a new colonie is born, so will its lores, due to geographies, and, geological changes, instead of agreeing, that lore is universal, i.e sciences, or to know, a high self, our Mother and Father, and, upon this being the reason for the constitution, and its birth, the ignorance towards the universal understanding of lore, and self, was, and is corrupted.
The first rules were broken,, the great charter, Magnus Cahta or Magnuslore, to take from another, and, to cause harm, and since these times,, and, obviously beforehand, has been, is being, a free for self, ‘i take what i want when i want’ regardless of thee other, some of you i see, are jealous of their wealth, i wouldn’t say its easy being ultra wealthy knowing self, and, understanding higher-self, but for a few, it is the thing they strive for, and this is why you here of their charities.
Besides, without the system that is placed, would you be writing these texts, or would your family have met its demise long ago?
Some times we get stuck in temporal plains looking for away out, the blame game is a good way to go, relieves stress, but, is objectionable.
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26th December 2012 at 12:19 am
Llpoh says:
The sacrifices a person makes to become, and stay, a doctor are extreme. I hope AWD makes a gigabillion for his efforts. And Hope. And Howard. And any other hard-working soul that has sacrificed and foregone today’s gratifications to build a better future for themselves, their family, and their country.
But I am in the minority – ask any Obama supporter, and they will tell you AWD has not paid his fair share. He did not build that.
May God bless AWD and all those like him, many of whom grace this site.When such as he quit the field, the world will truly spiral into darkness.
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26th December 2012 at 12:22 am
Llpoh says:
Ld Elon is a fucking gibbering idiot. There are some whackos, but you take the fucking cake. Fuck off already.
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26th December 2012 at 12:24 am
Ld Elon says:
‘….you don’t really think you and your family should be entitled to a better life from your years of med school, student loans to be paid off, and hard work and sacrifice today, now do you? What a dumb shit!’
why this choice of job though, whats the basic reason for it, because it pays well?, with thee addition of feeling important?, ha hah, i would be a medic too, in thee army, or with rescue, but wait, why I’m i helping them with their corruptions, doh…………..”its about security and well being too mate”, shakes head….i know you shouldn’t need it, security, other than your shelter, and thee ability to consume, keeping you healthy, what the fook do you think is planned….
When it should really be about, I’m helping thee other as i help myself, and, my family, conquer these ailments, which have come, or could come. to us.
I think as you get fairly old, and have worked with young people for sometime, your ego is limited, from the surprise you get talking to the young, with their wisdom’s, hopes and aspirations.
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26th December 2012 at 12:41 am
Ld Elon says:
Ld Elon is a fucking gibbering idiot. There are some whackos, but you take the fucking cake. Fuck off already.
it seems, im not thee abuser, self reflect please, its painful to see, your rage.
Logic says you have no real objections to what i said, from your statement that is.
If medics did their called duty, would we have this much illness, ?????????? lol
Ask him who he swears a legions to, go on ask him, if he even knows, gosh, calm the fook down alright.
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26th December 2012 at 12:47 am
IndenturedServant says:
Ld Elon, what is your fucking point?
Never mind, I don’t really want to know.
I_S
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26th December 2012 at 12:48 am
Ld Elon says:
Iam glad i caused your brain to itch, have a nice day.
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26th December 2012 at 12:55 am
llpoh says:
Ld idiot – of course I cannot disagree with you – I have no fucking idea what you are saying save it is clear you are a total moron.
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26th December 2012 at 1:04 am
The Resident Sophist says:
Ld Eldon said:
“ha hah, i would be a medic too, in thee army, or with rescue, but wait, why I’m i helping them with their corruptions, doh”
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26th December 2012 at 1:08 am
Stucky says:
glad am I, but is it joy, that on the thread thus named ‘Merry Christmas TBPers’, a Christmas Greeting from me, though yeah, was it not also wished some great tidings of good feeling toward all, but not all, but for even only One Day, nevertheless, that I did not include, or was it preclude, that crazy assed fellow who speaketh in riddles, he who is known as Ld Elon.
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26th December 2012 at 1:16 am