Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Bill Moyer "Welcome to the Plutocracy"
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
December 17, 2010 at 7:44 am #597333
blackwatchMemberI heard this on NPR last night and it gave me chills. Mainly because Mr. Moyer put into words what I’ve been feeling. He used the celebrating of the life of Howard Zinn (Author of “The People’s History of the United States”) to warn of the class war were engaged in at the moment.
Who else here believes that too many people fell in line to vote against their own best interest in the last election. I and Bill Moyer believe that it’s no coincidence. He believes that the upper classes are actively trying to take over the govenment and are succeeding. This last election would contest to that.
The transcripts are: http://www.truth-out.org/bill-moyers-money-fights-hard-and-it-fights-dirty64766
Read it, and if you find the speech, listen. Bill Moyer is no hack, and to hear him say these things should cause a reasonable person to sit up and take notice.
It’s later than we think
December 17, 2010 at 2:24 pm #711374
redblackParticipanti haven’t watched this yet, but i believe moyers knows what he’s talking about. thanks, blackwatch.
i think that this gets to the heart of why obama is such a disappointment to the left.
my tinfoil hat theory is as follows:
whether he wants to or not is subject to debate, of course, but the people who own the country won’t let him do what he said he’d do while he was on the campaign trail. and i believe they won’t let him remove somers, geithner, or bernanke. i used to think he kept them in place to protect himself from wall street, who could take him down if they wanted to.
now i’m not so sure.
December 17, 2010 at 3:39 pm #711375
KenParticipantDecember 17, 2010 at 4:18 pm #711376
JoBParticipantI agree with moyer and have for some time.
Unfortunately I believe the progressive expectations of Obama were so much wishful thinking built on campaign rhetoric.
Obama was law professor. I believe He believes in experts and precedent.
I think the tell was in the crafting of the health care bill. Single payer didn’t even get a seat at the table in the negotiations.
Experts told him what was possible and that’s where he started..
I think the results are a reflection of the process
December 17, 2010 at 7:27 pm #711377
miwsParticipantThank you for that link, blackwatch.
Long read, but very well worth it.
I appreciate the fact that it’s written, or I guess I should say was originally spoken, in plain English, instead of the obscure words that so many writers use, that though I may have a basic understanding of their meaning, are a huge distraction for me, as my feeble brain tries to decipher them and put them together in a way I can comprehend.
I just don’t understand how otherwise seemingly intelligent people can’t, or refuse to see what seems so obvious, as Mr Moyer pointed out, those amongst the super wealthy that are always screaming tax cuts, and are putting millions of dollars into achieving their goal through supporting Eymanesque Initiatives, like minded politicians, etc, that don’t have the best interests of the working class, and poor in mind, (is there a difference anymore?) only their own best interest to keep adding to their wealth, that is already at a point that we mere mortals can’t even fathom.
Meanwhile, they stir the pot trying and, sadly succeeding, in getting much of the working/middle class in thinking the “leeching” poor are to blame for all of our financial woes.
Mike
December 17, 2010 at 7:39 pm #711378
charlabobParticipant“Single Payer” got arrested — when they tried to show up at the table.
The repugs knew that Single Payer was popular, so they changed the name (framed the dialog) to be “Government Run HealthCare.” See mail messages from Fox news henchpeople ordering their “news” readers to use the right (!) words.
December 17, 2010 at 11:53 pm #711379
AlParticipantI heard that too. It pretty much backs up a lot of what I have been reading in the “less mainstream” media, plus the New Yorker. I’ve been a little wierded out for the last several years because so much of what I read 5 years ago is most certainly coming true, even to the Supreme Court (which Moyer also covered) which should give people real concern but doesn’t seem to have much of an effect.
Watch out when we have to start paying for the oxygen we breathe. This is not a joke.
December 18, 2010 at 12:30 am #711380
JanSParticipantin the P-I today…Joel Connelly’s column…what’s interesting is the comments after…sheeple, ignorant sheeple, who simply don’t like the messenger, and don’t give a damn about the message. Let’s face it…if you ask the people if they want to pay for anything, the answer will always be a resounding “NO”, no matter what. They just don’t get it. We can’t have it both ways…
http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/431956_JOEL17.html?source=rss
December 18, 2010 at 4:19 am #711381
WSMomParticipanthttp://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/431578_JOEL13.html “Fox News slants language of health care”
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brunitedstatescanadara/671.php?nid=&id=&pnt=671&lb=
“Those who watched Fox News almost daily were significantly more likely than those who never watched it to believe that most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses (12 points more likely), most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit (31 points), the economy is getting worse (26 points), most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring (30 points), the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts (14 points), their own income taxes have gone up (14 points), the auto bailout only occurred under Obama (13 points), when TARP came up for a vote most Republicans opposed it (12 points) and that it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States (31 points). The effect was also not simply a function of partisan bias, as people who voted Democratic and watched Fox News were also more likely to have such misinformation than those who did not watch it–though by a lesser margin than those who voted Republican.”
December 18, 2010 at 5:06 am #711382
valvashonParticipantBill Moyers has been a hero of mine for quite some time. I was introduced to his wisdom while working for a PBS station in the midwest in the 1980’s. Some of the stuff you have to watch while working in television turns out to be quite good. After my move to commercial television and later news production, I continued to follow and watch (and be inspired by) whatever show Bill Moyers was on. Nobody was sadder than me when he quit his show this last time.
WSMom, I heard the same statistics about Fox News today while listening to Democracy Now!, and believe that they are true. Not meaning to hijack this thread, but let’s all remember that they are speaking about the Fox News Channel, the 24 hour cable news (?) channel, not the news on our local Fox Television affiliate, KCPQ (Q-13). Our local news shows, also branded as “Q-13 Fox News” have nothing to do editorially with the Fox News Channel, and only occasionally do we share a bit of video with each other. Our station is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, they do not call the shots in our newsroom, and (thank God) I never bump into Bill O’Reilly in the hall.
Now please go and explain the difference in what is called “Fox News” to your less media savvy friends.
Val
December 19, 2010 at 1:10 am #711383
blackwatchMemberGreat Comments…
Don’t get me started on Fox.
What Moyer is stating in his speech answers something that has been troubling me for a long time now: How is it that so many good, smart people are being completely taken and fooled?
Moyers answers that for me: They are being fooled because people with a LOT of money want them to be fooled so they can have it all.
It has to be a horrible personality defect to have so much and not be satisfied, to think that you need to literally steal the lifestyle from millions of people. And actively work towards tht goal.
There are some really messed up people out there……
December 19, 2010 at 1:54 am #711384
DPMemberA) They tell me that voting is still legal.
B) Note: We lost the battle on I-1098. We did not lose the war.
When 1098 comes back (and it will) it will probably win by a larger majority than it could have won this time around, and this will be because, in the meantime, we will have wisely taken the opportunity to convince the 1098 “no” voters to change their vote. While convincing them, we can also have a good dialogue with them and listen to their concerns about making government more efficient.
C) If B) fails, there’s still stuff like direct action and non-violent protest.
Of course, direct action means that you might have to actually turn off your TeeVees and computers and go Outside.
Outside is where there are lots of trees, people, and other interesting things, but where it’s also occasionally been known to rain . . .
Right, Butterfly?
I L Y B
December 19, 2010 at 2:05 am #711385
charlabobParticipantDP, I’ve missed what you claim as a connection to Butterfly — much of what you say doesn’t seem at all connected to her — ????
December 19, 2010 at 2:13 am #711386
DPMemberI’m talking about direct action, charlabob. Butterfly is all about using direct action as a last resort to solve problems and change people’s minds.
Of course, I’m not advocating that we all climb up into trees, like Butterfly did, in order to prevent “cuts.”
But maybe we could occupy other spaces . . . if you catch my drift.
—D
December 19, 2010 at 2:16 am #711387
charlabobParticipantButterfly is radical — most of what you say is not; that’s why I asked.
December 19, 2010 at 2:18 am #711388
DPMemberNow it is I who do not follow you, charlabob . . .
Where have I failed to be “radical” where you think I should have been?
December 19, 2010 at 2:50 am #711389
blackwatchMemberShe’s cute but you’re not……
December 19, 2010 at 2:38 pm #711390
JoBParticipantDP
If you believe in occupying public spaces
Why do you object so loudly when others do?
This is…after all.. a public space
December 20, 2010 at 1:24 am #711391
DPMemberI plead guilty as charged to not being cute.
I plead guilty to teasing the teaseworthy.
(Perhaps I go too far sometimes, but hey, I get mad when I see people getting bullied.)
Not guilty to objecting to people occupying this space.
December 20, 2010 at 9:30 pm #711392
marianneParticipantThanks for that link. Scary stuff stated in plain language. Also timely for me. This past weekend I received a letter from the huge media/entertainment corporation that I worked for 15 years ago saying they were offering an “opportunity” for small shareholders to liquidate their stock with no brokerage fees on the transaction if completed by January 7th. I thought it strange offer when I read the letter and wondered what they were after. Looks to me now that they are one of the corporations trying to buy back their shares to increase their Wall Street appeal as Moyers discussed. Think I’ll hold onto my measly amount of stock in my former employer’s company (although I really could use the cash) to spite them.
December 26, 2010 at 7:22 am #711393
blackwatchMemberDP you have a very high opinion of yourself and it’s really not justified.
Write clearly and stay on topic and there will be no misunderstanding.
And have a Happy Holiday!
December 26, 2010 at 8:44 am #711394
JanSParticipantwow..judgemental a bit? Open forum..I think people can say more than what you simply want to hear, blackwatch…or..maybe I’m just being presumptuous..
and Happy Holiday to you…
December 26, 2010 at 5:04 pm #711395
JoBParticipantit is too easy to read these posts through the filter of bad intent…
especially when the subject is so important.
the resulting reaction can spur good conversation…
but only when we comment on ideas…
when we assume intentions and comment on people
conversation falters and becomes little more than judgmental one-up-man-ship.
Not much fun to hear and even less fun to read.
December 26, 2010 at 6:06 pm #711396
SmittyParticipant“the resulting reaction can spur good conversation…
but only when we comment on ideas…
when we assume intentions and comment on people
conversation falters and becomes little more than judgmental one-up-man-ship.
Not much fun to hear and even less fun to read.”
Damn Teabaggers.
December 26, 2010 at 6:41 pm #711397
DPMemberMaybe we could have an unwritten rule where every time someone described a problem, they would also be expected to offer some kind of workable solution as well. (Emphasis on the “workable.”)
Granted that such a rule would not result in a spontaneous Blog Love Fest, since we often disagree as much about solutions as we do about problems. But discussions are generally more interesting, I think, when they revolve around working out compromises rather than revolving around basic questions of fact, or fault.
And that reminds me of a story . . . But then everything reminds me of a story.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.